@miguel - I tend to agree with you that in certain circumstances mediation is not a suitable option and/or can result in a longer drawn out process, especially when for example there are high levels of conflict between parents and one or both parents refuse to compromise leading to none/few/scant agreements being reached...at the expense of the children. While parents in situations where mediation has failed can get a 60i,
some mediators can be very coercive in their approaches and can cause parents (who know no better) to think that mediation is their
only option. Waiting for several weeks/months for a 1st mediation appointment (which can be the case depending on where you live or the chosen provider), only to agree on something small/trivial, after an hour session and agreements not being enforceable, is certainly not ideal.
@Alina Kleiman - My personal view is that mediation, in most cases, is always the best option. However, when discussing mediation/FDR I prefer to view it from the broader perspective of all service providers as opposed to an individual one. While mediation can be extremely beneficial and a
good provider can definitely assist parents to focus on their children’s needs and help them to work together for the benefit of their children...the approaches, skill sets and knowledge bases of individual mediators are wide ranging...at times parents can be given misinformation, feel disempowered, pressured, there are no repercussions for parents not following agreements and, it can be very time consuming and costly (depending on the provider and duration) for e.g. a parent who is not seeing their child and will inevitably likely end up in court...which can fly in the face of quick resolutions and the best interests of the child. I say the aforementioned with complete acknowledgement that Court is far from ideal either. Solutions are hard to find!
