What do Paul McCartney, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Kim Kardashian, Demi Moore and Heidi Klum all have in common? They were all parties to very contentious, expensive and lengthy divorce proceedings. In fact, as evidenced in the many articles addressing celebrity divorce, it is not at all uncommon for celebrities to have particularly drawn out divorce proceedings that are subjected to almost constant media attention.
It doesn't have to be that way. There is one option that would allow celebrities to quickly settle their divorce matters in a way that saves them time, money and public scrutiny. That option is mediation. Mediation may be the best option to settle most celebrity divorces for three reasons: positivity, power and privacy.
Positivity. Mediation is often a more positive experience than traditional litigation for most parties, because mediation is a hands on process that allows both parties to positively engage one another and express their viewpoints is a structured environment. Mediation is more about collaborating to achieve a mutually agreeable goal rather than "fighting" to "win."
Power. Mediation gives couples the power to craft a workable solution that is agreeable to both parties. As opposed to the traditional litigation process that ultimately results in a trial where a judge makes the final decision, mediation allows couples to determine their own outcomes. For example, instead of a judge making determinations concerning the custody of a couple's children, if the couple uses mediation to come to a final settlement agreement, the couple - the two people who have the most interest in the child custody determination - will make the final decision.
Privacy. Privacy is often a treasure that many celebrities very rarely enjoy. During the traditional divorce process, privacy is even rarer. For the most part, in divorce, like in any other civil action, the filings submitted to the court by the parties are accessible by the public. Thus, the longer the divorce continues and the more filings submitted by each party, the more information each party must potentially reveal to the public. With mediation however, parties may come to a complete agreement before even filing the first legal document with the court.
Although the above listed points are framed in the context of celebrity divorce, the principles are applicable to any divorce. For more information about mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution, and how mediation may be beneficial to you during your divorce process, see our articles addressing these topics in detail.