by Barry Simon, Mediated Solutions

Nearly ten years ago when Marlene first met Liz, their future as a couple seemed so bright. They shared a vision that included a house and a child. Unfortunately, they never talked about the details. For Mark and Juan their future as a couple was just as promising. Sharp looking and invited to all the right parties, they sat on the top of their world. That was before the waiter. And the violence.

Marlene and Liz and Mark and Juan are real people whose names and circumstances have been altered for this article. I met them when they came to mediation, seeking the dissolution of their unhappy relationships. Mediation is a confidential form of dispute resolution in which the participants relate their conflict directly to a mediator who acts as a neutral third party. Because it is less adversarial than litigation, mediation allows the parties to be active rather than passive participants in the creation of a mutually satisfying resolution to their conflict.

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