Choosing A Mediator with Michael Becker
The right mediator is someone you trust and have comfort with. This is someone calm who can navigate you both through this horrible storm.
You want to pick someone with experience, but backgrounds of mediators can vary dramatically; some have legal backgrounds and some are more therapeutic. Meet with him or her and make sure you get along and have chemistry.
A good mediator is a good listener, which means hearing the REAL issue. For example, you say you want to keep the house, but really you want the kids to feel stable and be able to finish in their school district. The solution isn’t necessarily keeping the house, and a mediator will present a range of other options that works best for everyone.