It’s common knowledge that a divorce can be detrimental to a child’s health and wellbeing. It can be extremely stressful for a child to witness their parents split. It can be even more stressful if a divorce is resolved and a child must now experience what it’s like to share their lives with two parents who no longer love each other. Also, when children witness their parents resolve their conflicts through anger or resentment, they may follow that behavior. And the simple experience of a custody battle can be extremely nerve-wracking for children. A litigated divorce is many times not beneficial for a child involved.

A mediated divorce, however, is generally less harmful to children’s health and wellbeing. In a divorce mediation, two parents can work out their differences in an amicable way, resolve their divorce and come up with a co-parenting plan that’s best for their children. Here are 5 ways in which divorce mediation is more beneficial to children than divorce litigation.

Conflict

When a couple decides to litigate a divorce, the adversarial nature of the divorce in and of itself can heighten feelings of resentment. When two parties are pointed at each other in a courtroom, that “right vs. wrong” mentality can take over. Both parties are on the offense and the defense both in the courtroom and likely at home. A child witnessing this take place at home sets a bad example and may teach them negative means of conflict resolution.

Communication

A fantastic benefit of divorce mediation is that with a mediator present, communication between a couple that may have deep-seeded and pent-up resentment is facilitated by a neutral, third party. A mediator’s job is to help two parties communicate in an amicable fashion. A mediator will encourage a divorcing couple to be mindful of their words and to keep the process of divorce mediation as professional and cooperative as can be. Since a professional is there to help guide serious conflicts regarding divorce through a more amicable means of communication, this may positively affect the way less serious conflicts are dealt with at home. As mentioned above, bad examples of conflict resolution may negatively affect a child’s own means of resolving conflicts. If a mediator can help divorcing parents in developing a more positive form of communicating through conflict resolution, this may set a better example for their child.

Co-Parenting

When two parents are divorcing, they should always remember that their children’s health and wellbeing is of the highest priority in their decision making. In divorce mediation, a couple can come to an agreement for co-parenting that’s best for their child. If need be, experts such as child therapists can help two divorcing parents make the best of their co-parenting plan.

Creativity

In a mediated divorce, a couple can either come up with their own creative plan. An intelligent divorce mediator may even come up with creative solutions for the couple to consider. However, there are some instances when divorce agreements must be bent for the best interest of the child. Future complications may arise forcing a divorced couple to contest on certain matters, such as holiday sharing. If a divorce is successfully mediated, there’s a better chance divorced parents can work amicably with each other in order to resolve disputes as opposed to going back into mediation or litigation. This can be greatly beneficial for a child of two divorced parents.

Timing

In a litigated divorce, a couple must work around a courtroom’s timetable. In a mediated divorce, a mediator works with a couple’s preferred timeline. They can schedule their own sessions in order to take the time they need to understand how their decisions will impact their future as well as their child. If they feel they require outside guidance from a child therapist because they are having trouble agreeing on issues involving child custody, they’ll have the time to do this. Contrarily, if they are in agreeance with matters surrounding their child’s wellbeing, they can schedule sessions close together in order to expedite the process and begin to ease their child into a new lifestyle.