Catharine M. Venzon Divorce Law Blog on Lawyers.com

As Buffalo divorce lawyers, we work with spouses in every kind of divorce situation, from those that go to trial to those that can be settled through divorce negotiation (unlike mediation).

In a perfect world, divorcing couples would not need attorneys to settle their family disputes. Both Mom and Dad would have time for a career and a family, with both parents taking an equal role in childrearing. However, because we do not live in a perfect world, more than half of recent marriages will end in divorce. This separation may be caused by financial woes, differing childrearing tactics, or any number of possible marital problems. A party seeking a divorce needs a compassionate advocate for their rights. Unfortunately, this is not always what they get.

Lawyer-bashing is common in this age and you see it everywhere in the media, TVs, movies, and celebrity cases.  Because of this, slick entrepreneurs have found a new angle to exploit: Mediation for Matrimonial and Family Law. Sadly, mediation is not the one size fits all, affordable, quick solution to resolving disputes that its proponents would have us believe. In reality, mediation can contribute to escalated court costs, exacerbate friction between the parties, and cause irreparable harm to all. As scary as that sounds, many are jumping on the Mediation bandwagon with little or no knowledge of the process and its pitfalls.

As a result of Mediation gaining popularity, Matrimonial and Family Law may lose its place in the Supreme Court as the domain for serious disputes involving families and children. If these issues are taken out of the Court system and given to untrained, non-professionals to decide, what does this do to the sanctity of the family? The Supreme Court is a valuable resource to continue to provide family and personal matters and comes with the benefit of the safeguards that are given to all other serious litigation matters.

One of the scariest facts about medication is that the core of mediation consists of one person's word against another. A mediator does not have to interview witnesses or gather facts like you would in a courtroom. There is no investigation by a mediator to determine the information needed to make an intelligent, professional recommendation to the parties. The most disturbing fact is that there are no standard procedures that mediators are required to follow when guiding a husband and wife through a divorce proceeding (or any other type of proceeding for that matter). The big lie about mediation is that it is cheaper, easier or more effective, when in reality the end result can be highly detrimental to both parties. 

Venzon Law Firm - Buffalo Divorce Lawyers

300 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, New York 14202
(716) 462-6585