Solving Family Disputes Through Mediation

Michael Lodge, NCPM, CRTP - Nationally Certified Professional Mediator - Ph:  305.824.2963 - www.lodge-co.com

Families have issues.  Sometimes the small issue becomes a dispute or a conflict with the family.  Emotions running wild and then it can become extreme to the point that it literally shuts families down.  They stop talking, they accuse each other of various deeds, and the names begin to fly.  I should probably keep a list of all the names I have heard people call each other, they become very interesting.  Sometimes the dispute can be between parents and children, where promises were made but not kept, sometimes by both sides.  The process of mediation in family disputes should be used more often.

Family disputes can be in a family owned business.  Who is going to take over the business once a family member leaves the business? Succession is a big thing if family companies and can get nasty.  And then there is a separation phase of a marriage and setting rules so that responsibilities are defined until the divorce goes through.  It may even be a separation while the couple goes through counseling.  All of this is done through a mediator, very confidentially.

Mediation is a process and it is the best process to solve problems.  Mediation has a very high percentage rate of resolving issues, in business and in families.  The process is designed to have a third party - the mediator - who steps in and provides focus and rules to discuss and negotiate through the conflict or dispute.  Emotions can be controlled by having private meetings with those in the family before bringing them all together.  Sometimes that heat is so high in the dispute that individuals can't be brought together at the very beginning, there has to be diplomacy mediation between the two parties before they are ready to meet in person.  And sometimes, when people start to talk they find out their issues are the same as the other person's issue, and that creates a starting point to agree on a way to resolve the problems.

As I do mediation I get to hear a lot of very interesting stories.  Some angry, some sad, some not knowing what to do.  Everyone in mediation gets to tell their story.  The mediator gets to take the story and put it into discussion points to find a resolution opportunity for both parties to work on - together.  If you or a client, is having a family conflict, call a mediator.  The process works!

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