NCJ Number
103938
Date Published
1985
Length
303 pages
Annotation
This book instructs mental health professionals and family lawyers in mediation techniques intended to help client families resolve critical emotional and financial disputes.
Abstract
Following a description of mediation and how it compares to arbitration and traditional negotiation techniques, the book identifies options available to families in crisis situations and the range of techniques mediators can use. A step-by-step portrayal of the mediation process includes case examples of the use of various mediation techniques. Techniques cover suggesting mediation to clients, clarifying the nature of a dispute, and role-playing and reframing techniques to help clients view their problems from new perspectives. Conflicts at various stages of the family life cycle are identified. Mediation techniques are tailored to specific types of family conflict such as those between parents and teenagers, adult children and their parents, neighbors, and unmarried couples. In broadening family mediation techniques to the business world, the book provides guidelines for mediating disputes involving partnerships, labor and management, and family businesses. Other topics covered are training, referrals, professional ethics, liability, and the use of personal computers to advance the mediation process and assist clients in business management. Appended court case summaries, copy of the Domestic Relations Tax Reform Act of 1984, description of the Academy of Family Mediators, subject index, and 72 references.