Divorce mediation can help people make the best of a difficult situation. People who have decided to end a marriage can work cooperatively with one another instead of litigating. There are many benefits to divorce mediation including a faster overall divorce process, more say in the final terms set and improved privacy.
However, mediation may feel inaccessible to those in high-conflict or emotionally intense situations. People who have a hard time sitting down with their spouses may question whether mediation is a viable option as they begin planning a divorce. In such cases, caucus or shuttle mediation could potentially be the best option available.
What separates caucus or shuttle mediation from traditional divorce mediation?
Spouses don’t have to sit down together
Traditional divorce mediation requires that everyone discuss the matter jointly in one space. This is the most efficient approach to the process. They may tackle everything in one session or meet repeatedly with their mediator to resolve their ongoing disagreements about the terms of the divorce.
Shuttle mediation is different because the spouses do not have to sit down face-to-face with one another. The mediator can travel back and forth between different rooms or even totally separate facilities. Caucus or shuttle mediation can also involve digital sessions in some cases.
The mediator discusses the matter separately with each spouse while fulfilling the same general role they would in traditional mediation. Their goal is to facilitate calm communication and help the spouses find compromises that work for them.
In scenarios where emotions are still too intense for spouses to communicate effectively, shuttle mediation can be a viable option. If the spouses reach a reasonable settlement, they can sign a binding agreement that then allows them to move forward with an uncontested divorce. If they cannot agree on the terms of the divorce, then they are not bound by any of the terms discussed during mediation.
People who are too angry or sad about the end of a marriage to handle face-to-face mediation may want to discuss the possibility of shuttle mediation before resigning themselves to the inevitability of divorce litigation. Learning more about the different approaches to divorce mediation can help those who want a lower-conflict approach to the divorce process. Shuttle or caucus mediation can be useful for people in a number of difficult, emotional scenarios.