Olivia De Recat created the amazingly simple but impactful image below.  There are multiple types of relationships depicted, and yet many more that could be added. There is beauty in both the simplicity and the depth of the drawing.  On my first viewing I thought of this quote from the movie Fight Club: "On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero."  The image reminds us that every relationship is finite, and that is both sad and powerful. Upon thinking about it more, I realized the drawing also shows how many ways our lives are touched by so many different types of relationships.  While we often try to process our relationships as good or bad, there is no judgment on the quality of a relationship based on its closeness over time.  There are just differences in how we experience our interactions with different people at different times in our lives. That also reminds me of how many different marriages there are.  As a divorce mediator I am ofte

Mediation is a process for resolving disputes with an impartial facilitator. The mediator helps open and improve dialogue between two or more individuals in hopes of finding an acceptable resolution for everyone involved.  There are many advantages to settling disputes through mediation, and we need more mediators in this world to help spread the word. Register for Mediation Training If you're thinking about taking a mediation training here are five reasons you should do it sooner rather than later: 1. Mediation is good for Clients Mediation helps clients because it is typically less expensive and more efficient than litigation, it gives the clients control over their timeline and the outcome, and it is private.  These are all things that clients typically value in resolving a dispute.  When educated about the benefits of mediation, most clients will be open to at least trying mediation before pursuing other options.  The risk is typically low and the potential benefit s

We encourage our clients to use non-adversarial joint problem solving to resolve conflict.  A simpler way of saying that is that we work with people to talk about and solve their problems together.  We ask our clients to stop seeing the other person as an obstacle to overcome, and rather to see them as an ally in finding a solution that can work for everyone. Consider the advantages of this approach when it comes to a financial negotiation: Just like poker players hide their cards when they play a hand, people often assume the best approach to negotiation is to hold back information to achieve the best outcome for themselves.  This analogy ignores the fact that the rules of poker are designed around having incomplete information, and using clues to gain an edge.  The rules of negotiation are often different depending on the context.  For example, in a divorce case the court in Massachusetts requires certain financial information to be automatically disclosed, and other information

In 2014, we didn't know yet who would be running for president in the 2016 election, the Guardians of the Galaxy  had just arrived, Pharrell Williams was " Happy ", and the Ebola virus outbreak was reaching epidemic proportions in West Africa. Also, in 2014 we posted a 3-part article on Starting the Divorce Process , and despite how much has changed since 2014, divorce is pretty much the same.  You have a choice when getting divorced; you decide how much professional help you want, how much control you want to have over the outcome, and how much time and energy you have to devote to your divorce. What is different in 2020 is the continued growth in popularity of divorce process options that focus on family over fighting.  More professionals are trained every year in collaborative law and mediation.  Conscious uncoupling has become a buzzword for a better divorce. More and more resources are showing up to help explain the options in divorce in more understandable