Solution-focused conciliation offers parties a process for working through disputes when they desire to continue a relationship beyond the dispute. The process combines the expertise of mediators/arbitrators and, depending on the issues, conflict coaches, child and family advocates, and divorce financial planners. These professionals fully equip and guide parties in crafting a resolution so that they can move from dispute into a hopeful, workable future. The process is conciliatory rather than adversarial.

If parties want to keep control of the decisions they must live with, desire to resolve their dispute privately, and want to avoid the direct involvement of the court system in the decision-making process, solution-focused conciliation is the answer. Contact The Resolution Center, LLC today to learn more about our conciliation and divorce mediation services.

Solution-focused conciliation may be used to settle a wide variety of disputes in ongoing relationships, including: 

• Small and large businesses 
• Neighborhoods
• Faith communities
• Partnerships
• Families — whether they are separating, divorcing, desiring marital mediation, dealing with an estate dispute, or in need of elder law services

According to Forbes, in 2022, a total of 673,989 divorces and annulments occurred across the 45 U.S. states that report this statistic. The Resolutions Center, LLC can assist you with divorce mediation and more. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

A fee budget is established at the outset, based on the mix of services needed to fully resolve the issues between the parties. The fee can be paid on a pay-as-you-go basis or in three to five monthly installments. Parties know how much the process for divorce mediation or other services is likely to cost before they ever enter an agreement to proceed. The goal is that instead of worrying about cost, parties give full focus to resolving the issues so they can move forward.

Solution-focused conciliation promotes basic values and moral principles that are an essential part of healthy relationships and the proper functioning of society. If you agree to participate in solution-focused conciliation, you will be encouraged to:

• Be candid
• Accept responsibility for your actions
• Keep your word
• Be concerned about the interests of others
• Confront others constructively
• Be open to forgiveness and reconciliation 

This does NOT mean you have to feel deep affection for the other party or resume the relationship as it was. Simply be open to engaging with them in a healthy, mature fashion while receiving divorce mediation or other services.

In domestic cases, parents are viewed as the primary experts on the well-being and development of their children. They are expected to make decisions consistent with the children’s best interests.

Yes. The parties’ decisions will be filed with the court as a stipulated agreement. These agreements, as well as arbitration decisions, are legally binding and are enforced as a judgment of a civil court. For further questions about divorce mediation or any of our other services, don't hesitate to contact us.

Solution-focused conciliation requires all participants in the process to agree at the outset that they are prohibited from divulging information to anyone who does not have a necessary and legitimate interest in the conflict. In particular, conciliators may not be subpoenaed to testify in current or subsequent legal proceedings.

If you have further questions about the legal implications of divorce mediation or any of our other services, contact The Resolution Center, LLC today.

No. For many people going through experiences like divorce mediation, the goal of compromise is often to “split the baby” merely to get a matter settled. Conciliation focuses on creating solutions that both sides see as just and reasonable. This creates solutions parties will live by for the long term.

Each party entering divorce mediation or other conciliation services is encouraged to have an attorney since conciliators are barred from giving legal advice or representing either party in an attorney/client relationship. Attorneys act as legal advisors to ensure all issues are covered and that their client understands the ramifications of the parties’ agreement.

Conciliators are happy to work with any attorney the parties have retained to advise them during the conciliation process as long as the attorney is willing to abide by the rules established in the solution-focused conciliation agreement. In the event that the solution-focused conciliation process is terminated short of completion, both attorneys are free to continue to represent their client in the civil court system in any issue that was the subject of the solution-focused conciliation agreement, subject to the confidentiality provisions of the conciliation agreement.

It is not unusual for people to have questions and apprehensions about using solution-focused conciliation, which is admittedly a novel way to resolve conflict. We offer a free consultation for those uncertain about stepping into the process. Parties learn the details of the process, the services they will receive, and the total cost before ever committing to moving forward with divorce mediation or other conciliation services.

During divorce mediation and other conciliation services, conciliators will not serve as investigators, attorneys, prosecutors, or judges. They will also not serve as therapists or independent financial brokers or advisors.

Traditional courts operate on a win-lose basis, pitting the parties against each other. The process is rule and rights oriented, and the judge's decision is limited by the information available, often not fully capturing the true nature and causes of the dispute. The outcome is determined by the process and rules, rather than the actual needs and priorities of the parties. This legal approach can intensify animosities and permanently damage relationships.

On the other hand, solution-focused conciliation prioritizes relationships over rights. It offers strategies to restore, reconcile, or renegotiate the relationship into a different, practical, and sustainable form.

The conciliation process aims to recognize and protect the shared values of the parties and others affected by the dispute. It emphasizes the future of the relationship (or, in family cases, the welfare and best interests of the children) over the parties’ individual rights.

Benefits include:

• The process is kept affordable with budgeted fees
• Trained professionals guide you through every step of the process
• The process is time-limited and time-sensitive
• Your privacy is protected
• Outcomes are determined by the respective parties, not by a judge
• Parties focus on the future, not the past
• Conflicts are resolved while relationships are strengthened