Benefits of Divorce Mediation for Children
Medway Divorce Mediator on How Mediation Benefits Your Kids
Even if you were not successful in your marriage, you can decide to be successful with your Massachusetts divorce. This may sound strange, but it is something couples choose to do all of the time, whether they live in Medway, Medfield, or Millis, MA.
This decision is especially important for divorcing parents. You can have an expensive and stress-filled legal tug-of-war, or work cooperatively and respect your role as parents. From working with clients as both a Massachusetts divorce mediator and divorce lawyer, I have seen both approaches.
Abundant research illustrates that the best way to protect children during divorce is minimizing parental conflict, especially children’s exposure to parental conflict. Certainly parental conflict does not just start at divorce, but keeping conflict under control benefits parents and children.
Benefits for Children
Divorce mediation is one way that parents decide to have a better divorce. By working with a mediator, parents make the needs of their children a priority and contain their personal relationship issues – as opposed to increasing the anger and gamesmanship through litigation.
If the atmosphere between you and your spouse has deteriorated to the point where conflict and resentment has replaced the positive aspects of the relationship, this is not a good situation for you or your children. I am not suggesting people give up too soon on their marriage, but “staying together for the children” may be one of the worst decisions for your kids.
As explained by Robert Emery, Ph.D. in his book The Truth About Children and Divorce, “children can survive and thrive after divorce if parents can find the right way to mange their relationships with their children and with each other.”
Your kids may never thank you, but they will surely benefit. You will know you did the right thing, and you’ll be glad you did.
For more information about how divorce mediation or the collaborative divorce process can translate into a better divorce for your and your family, please call Stephen McDonough at Next Phase Legal LLC at (508) 359-4043.
Stephen McDonough is an experienced divorce mediator and divorce lawyer, and the owner of Next Phase Legal LLC.
Interesting Facts about Medway, MA
Medway is located on the western border of Norfolk County, and was incorporated in 1713. With a population of approximately 14,000, Medway is bordered by the towns of Holliston, Millis, Milford, Bellingham and Franklin. State highway Route 109 runs the length of Medway from east to west and Route 495 is close by in the neighboring communities of Bellingham and Milford. Rail transit to Boston is available nearby in Franklin and Norfolk.
Our office is located at 65 Holbrook Street, Suite 270, in Norfolk, MA 02056.
Our building is located directly along Rt. 115, and is part of the Village at River’s Edge development.