Affordable Justice: How to Settle Any Dispute, Including Divorce, Out of Court

In studying on mediation, I thought this book would be helpful in developing a foundation or learning more about mediation. My first reaction is that this is not really a book in the traditional sense, but rather a collection of bullet points and quotations about mediation. The book is divided into "chapters" that break down different aspects of mediation in different situations, such as divorce settlements and property disputes. My first thought was to be dismissive with the bullet points, but they do bring up simple things that you will want to think about, such as whether you should have a lawyer and (in terms of the divorce settlement) using mediation to mitigate any stress on children. The bullet points were accurate and helpful, but I would like to have had more of an explanation of some points as to why one way is better than the other. There is also not as much on the mechanics of mediation. In the back of the book are a list of mediators with contact information, divided by state. This would be a handy reference for anyone wanting to give mediation a try. Although mediation is a more cost effective and relationship-saving device than the courts, at times, the authors seems to attack unnecessarily lawyers and the court system. It doesn't seem to be necessary and undercuts the tenor of the book, which is finding a better solution. I would recommend this as a quick reference and as a good starting point to help determine whether mediation may be better than going to the courts.

This book is about mediation--and mediation can be any number or combination of different strategies to come to an agreement you and the other person can live with. The purpose of mediation is to save money, time and aggravation while giving you the best possible outcome in your dispute/divorce. When you take someone to court, you just don't know how it will turn out; you may think your case is iron-clad, only to find out the judge just thinks differently! Going to court can just leave too much to chance.This book gives the reasons why to use mediation, the different forms mediation can take, how to initiate mediation, how to prepare for mediation and protect your rights throughout the process. The book also includes information on when mediation doesn't work or wouldn't be a good idea--which is just as important as knowing the benefits. If what you want is "your day in court," meaning a chance to explain and be heard, then you'll understand why mediation will be more satisfying than merely handing your case over to an attorney. This book lacks an index, however, a sure shortcoming in any work of non-fiction.