Recent Posts in Why Mediate? Category
Posted on Oct 10, 2011 By Thurman W. Arnold, III, Family Law Mediator
DFMS Is Now (Almost) 18 Months Old ! I want to compliment and honor those of you who have seen the terrible destruction and waste that is characteristic of family court litigation, and who have been ...
Continue reading "MEDIATION Is the Sane Alternative - But Only If You Value Your FAMILY And Your Money!" »
Posted on Jun 10, 2011 By Thurman Arnold, III, CFLS
Litigation Is The Default Strategy For Adjudicating Conflict Some people believe that mediators don't hold the American legal system or the judges who play their role within it in high regard. That ...
Continue reading "LITIGATION Verses MEDIATION: ADVERSARY REALITIES Worth Considering Before Pulling the Trigger" »
Posted on May 8, 2011 By T.W. Arnold, III, CFLS
What Marriage of Davenport Means for Mediation Family law mediators and collaborative attorneys, and those attorneys who decry the shameless lack of ethics on the part of some high conflict divorce ...
Continue reading "Client SANCTIONED When Her Lawyer DISCLOSED INFORMATION That VIOLATED the MEDIATION PRIVILEGE" »
Posted on Feb 12, 2011 By Desert Family Mediation Services
Q. My husband and I are planning a divorce. We read some of your blogs about mediation thank you for making so much information available. We have pretty much agreed how to divide our property. ...
Continue reading "Can You Just HELP Us with a STIPULATED AGREEMENT and How Much Might It COST?" »
Posted on Feb 3, 2011 By Desert Family Mediation Services
As is to be expected, people in the midst of relationship transition are experiencing a deep range of emotions that include varying levels of personal distress. For some these are manageable when ...
Continue reading "How Might We Work With STRONGLY FELT EMOTIONS That Surface During Mediation?" »
Posted on Jan 1, 2011 By Desert Family Mediation Services
While we wouldn't say that co-mediating your dissolution or custody matter is necessarily superior to engaging a sole mediator, we find that there are benefits to co-mediation that particularly assist ...
Continue reading "GENDER DIFFERENCES and the CO-MEDIATION SOLUTION" »
Posted on Dec 10, 2010 By Thurman W. Arnold, III, CFLS
Mediation is a difficult and beautiful dance. People arrive with deeply held and heartfelt concerns, and they will continue to hold these core values no matter what occurs. It is not for the mediator ...
Continue reading "Mediation Is Not Appropriate For Everyone: It is a VOLUNTARY PROCESS With Boundaries" »
Posted on Dec 5, 2010 By Thurman Arnold III, CFLS
A disaster may be looming in 2011 for some of the California family law disputants who don't realize they are free to opt out of the litigation experience by employing mediation or collaborative law ...
Continue reading "2011 AMENDMENTS to the FAMILY CODE: MEDIATION Becomes Even MORE ECONOMIC" »
Posted on Nov 14, 2010 By Desert Family Mediation Services
In the typical experience of divorce or partnership dissolution, parties may or may not make use of legal professionals. Estimates are that over 60% of people don't hire lawyers or even consult with ...
Continue reading "BENEFITS of MEDIATION Include Receiving ALL RELEVANT INFORMATION" »
Posted on Nov 8, 2010 By Thurman Arnold, CFLS
There is a funny bit of nonfiction that has been making its rounds through internet emails. I think it illustrates a scientific basis why mediation may make sense for people who are unwinding their ...
Continue reading "Conflict Patterns Become HARD-WIRED. Mediation Can Help Parties to RE-WIRE." »
Posted on Nov 8, 2010 By Thurman Arnold, CFLS
Is mediation the best choice for you? Will the other person in your life participate at all, or participate fairly? We can't answer those questions. We can speak to how mediation might work for you ...
Continue reading "Preserving AUTONOMY While Supporting MUTUALITY" »
Posted on Nov 4, 2010 By Desert Family Mediation Services
We are pleased to announce that Attorney and DFMS Mediator Thurman W. Arnold III has received notice from the California Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of California that he officially ...
Continue reading "Mediator THURMAN ARNOLD III Recognized By California State Board of Specialization!" »
Posted on Oct 30, 2010 By Thurman Arnold
One reason why people become "stuck" is that they develop patterns of dealing with conflict, over time, with their spouses, domestic partners, employers, children, inlaws, and just about everybody ...
Continue reading "Understanding CONFLICT PATTERNS and WHY TO MEDIATE" »
Posted on Oct 29, 2010 By Thurman Arnold
Q. So I am wondering - why would we need mediation if my wife and I already know and are agreed about how to divide our stuff? I am thinking we should have a cheap divorce. A. You may not need ...
Continue reading "DO WE NEED MEDIATION If My Spouse and I Know Exactly What We Want to Do?" »
Posted on Oct 27, 2010 By Desert Family Mediation Services
We believe that mediation serves same sex couples particularly well. It doesn't matter whether you are a domestic partner or one of the 14,000 couples that married during the window that existed from ...
Continue reading "Mediation As the First Choice for SAME-SEX Couples" »
Posted on Oct 24, 2010 By Thurman W. Arnold III
Q. One of reasons why I am considering mediation is that that I've heard it is confidential. It is really important to me and my family that our personal matters not become public. How confidential is ...
Continue reading "How Confidential is "CONFIDENTIAL" MEDIATION?" »
Posted on Oct 19, 2010 By Desert Family Mediation Services
The 2000 American Bar Association Model Standards for Mediation, and indeed the standards for all family law mediation, are based upon the principle of "informed consent." While once known as a ...
Continue reading "ABA Standards - "ENTERING MEDIATION"" »
Posted on Oct 19, 2010 By Desert Family Mediation Services
The American Bar Association's Model Standards (2000) define mediation and affirm its importance and core values that can help guide consumers in choosing their mediator. At DFMS we subscribe to these ...
Continue reading "American Bar Association Model Standards - CHOOSING A MEDIATOR" »
Posted on Oct 19, 2010 By T.W. Arnold
The question of mediators talking to one party in the absence of the other can come up in a variety of contexts. This Blog discusses initial contacts from one party, often when they are simply seeking ...
Continue reading "Why We Won't TALK ABOUT YOUR CASE When You INITIALLY CALL" »