The Benefits Outweigh the Costs

Does mediation reduce the costs of divorce? During the past two years, the Denver Custody Mediation Project has provided mediation services in the Denver metropol itan area and evaluated this method of resolving con tested child custody and visitation disputes. It found that mediation does not initially result in substantial or consistent savings to the clients. Mediation does, how ever, result in less relitigation?thus, less subsequent costs?and possibly less costs to the public. But the savings are in forms other than money. Ac cording to the project's data, successful mediation clients generally not only save time, but also avoid the headaches of misunderstandings between themselves and dissatisfaction with the resolution process. In sum, mediation is the preferable way to resolve contested child custody disputes.