Domestic Mediation

Eden J. Allyn and Kristin M. Smith are family law mediators. Ms. Allyn and Ms. Smith help guide and facilitate the important conversations that need to take place. They work to enable all parties in achieving resolutions that each party can live with.

We understand that sometimes the best results are gained when adversaries set aside their animus and work jointly to provide a solution that is beneficial to all parties. This is particularly the case in situations that can be acrimonious, as in a divorce or other family law matter where emotions run high. We strongly believe in creating a safe place for parties to work out their differences. And because we are such advocates of the mediation process, we volunteer to mediate pending issues in the Wayne County Circuit Court.

As attorneys who are experienced in mediation, Ms. Allyn and Ms. Smith understand that negotiation and cooperation can often go a long way to solving problems often seen as insurmountable. Our firm brings experience and understanding to your litigation issues, and we are ready to work through the mediation process in order to solve them.

Rather than engage in adversarial litigation, some matters are better resolved through the process of mediation. This is particularly the case for those issues that benefit from looking at the big picture. By focusing on garnering the best possible outcome, our attorneys understand that working in conjunction with the opposing party to solve the problem in a short amount of time is sometimes in everyone's best interest.

As in every other area of practice, our focus to make sure that your issue is resolved as effectively as possible. Mediation is impartial and efficient, and is a benefit to parties who wish to avoid an adversarial proceeding. Often, when clients feel that they have been through a successful mediation process, they find that they are better equipped to discuss and resolve post-judgment issues with the other party. In that way, they may avoid arguing in court, even if it means the parties return to mediation for that issue.

A benefit of mediation is that the parties resolve problems in a manner that meets their own unique needs. By working in conjunction with a mediator instead of in an adversarial courtroom setting , the parties in a mediation often find it to their benefit to work together, with the mediator guiding them, so that can come to a mutually acceptable solution at the end of the process. Parties who resolve their issues through mediation discover more value in the solutions they create together than in those imposed by the courts.

Unlike litigation, where a judge will make a decision, the mediator does not decide who is right. Instead, the mediator helps the parties determine what will work best to resolve the situation. In fact, most participants of mediation find it a satisfactory method of problem resolution, and the compliance rate is often higher than with decisions made by the court.