Modern Divorce and Mediation

By Dr. Roham Ghassemi

The purpose of this book is to provide a brief explanation of mediation, specifically divorce mediation. It talks about the many benefits of divorce mediation over the adversarial process, which involves two attorneys representing the two sides to negotiate and argue on their behalf.

The reason I have called this book Modern Divorce is because of the way everything around us is taking a new and modern path in our everyday lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9781669866619

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Copyright © 2023 by Dr. Roham Ghassemi.

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Rev. date: 03/20/2023

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To my teacher and guide, Professor Nader Angha, who has always encouraged all his students to educate themselves in different fields and on all levels and who suggested to me to enter the field of mediation.

Roham Ghassemi has been a Mediator since 2004 and has been mediating both civil and family mediation for nonprofit organizations, such as DMS, Dallas County Dispute Resolution Services, and Southern Methodist University as a volunteer mediator. He is a full-time mediator for TDI Texas Department of Insurance and operates a private mediation service. He also holds a BS in Business CCU, MS in Psychology CCU, MLA in Negotiation SMU as well as a PhD in Psychology from CCU. He is a certified Mediator and a Certified Divorce Mediator. He has a corporate sector negotiation Certificate along with his real estate license in Texas Since 1996.

Author of books:

Substance Abuse and Cognitive behavioral therapy

Motivation and Knowledge

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1   What is mediation and divorce mediation

Chapter 2   The Benefits of Mediation in Divorce

Chapter 3   What Does Mediation and the Mediator Do

Chapter 4   The Process of Divorce Mediation

Chapter 5   Initial Interview

Chapter 6   When to Have Attorneys Involved

Chapter 7   Children in Divorce

Chapter 8   Dos and Don’ts in Mediation

Chapter 9   Mediation Settlement Agreement (MSA)

Chapter 10 Changes After the Divorce Is Final Just Like Any Traditional Divorce

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this book is to provide a brief explanation of mediation, specifically divorce mediation. It talks about the many benefits of divorce mediation over the adversarial process, which involves two attorneys representing the two sides to negotiate and argue on their behalf.

In mediation you remain in control of the process, instead of taking the risk of fighting in a courtroom where a judge may make the decisions neither of you wants (Carol A. Butler and Dolores D. Walker, Divorce Mediation Answer Book, [1999], 3).

The reason I have called this book Modern Divorce is because of the way everything around us is taking a new modern path in our everyday lives, especially after the pandemic. We were forced to learn new ways to communicate and new ways to balance work, life, and family, and new ways to get to our goals. Even by having conflicts and disputes, it is much more efficient to get results through telecommunication or video conferences than through the in-person model.

The pandemic changed our lives at work and home. Video and audio conferences replaced most face to face meetings including mediation. Now there is much anticipation and hope that face to face meetings will begin again since more of the population is being vaccinated. However, it is unlikely that all mediations will revert back to the pre-pandemic mode (Thomas Repicky, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, July 20, 2021).

This is no exception in getting a divorce. As more and more people realize the practical way to go through a divorce, they understand the benefits of going to mediation sessions. As divorce can be a highly stressful circumstance, it is important to reduce the stress level as much as possible by going to a mediator in a comfortable environment, which can be in the comfort of your own home. From the way we communicate with one another to the way we research everything, we are interested in ways of doing everything simpler, more effective, and more convenient.

In most settings we can see individuals develop new skills and experiences during the pandemic. Whole population has been forced into a crash course on modern technology, and the benefitual result is more people than ever have skills and knowledge to work effectively and get more work done from anywhere.

As everyone is preoccupied with living their everyday life, society has developed in a significantly more modern way. As time goes by, more and more people are getting familiar with mediation. They have experienced and learned the importance of mediation as it reflects on the way they do things and resolve conflicts. Mediation has shown and is continuing to show how it helps resolve issues and conflicts in the workplace and even in families. Most people have had some experience with mediation, for example, when siblings have an argument and the parents intervene. The parent acts as the mediator, or when students in a classroom have a conflict and the teacher intervenes; the teacher acts as the mediator.

Growth creates opportunity, and with it comes the need to adjust which can lead to conflict. Mediation is one of the most successful tools for dealing with conflict and is an addition to