No Sweat

Each year, over one million mothers and fathers divorce. Approximately one million children are involved. Before and during separation and after the divorce, many parents expose their children to massive doses of anger and conflict. This causes children great pain.

In 1981, the California State Legislature had the foresight and wisdom to enact a bill that requires mediation prior to trial for all parents who are litigating child custody and/or visitation matters. This intervention minimizes the hurt to children and families going through a divorce by giving parents a chance to settle their differences with the help of a third neutral party.

Child Custody Mediation describes the mediation process in action and detail, from the moment of intake and through the preliminary conference, parental interviews, child(ren)’s interviews, family conference, concluding parental conference, negotiating an agreement and wrap-up conference. Five vivid case studies highlight the amazing power and transformation possible during the mediation process even in extremely difficult cases.

The late Dr. Carl Whitaker, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, stated in his foreword, “Florence Bienenfeld has done the world of divorce court proceedings an unusual favor. Her book is both good reading and an aid to wise decision-making. Dr. Bienenfeld proves herself a capable therapist and excellent writer, and a wise human being.”