California isn’t the only state with rising divorce rates. Across the nation, partners find it more difficult to make marriages last. While there are many theories as to why the divorce rate is rising, some speculate it might have to do with more demands in the work place as well as the home. Whatever the reason for divorce, be it high stress or fidelity issues, divorce mediation is a relatively new and helpful option for separation.
Experts agree, specifically for young parents in the U.S. today, it is increasingly difficult to do it all. From a demanding job, to day care costs, extracurricular school activities and social events, married individuals — particularly with children — are highly stressed and without important time to spend together. Unfortunately, while many people internalize the feelings of stress, unhappiness and anxiety, many agree that society has placed too much of an obligation on us all. Other nations with a more solid support system, including public funding for health needs and day care, boast a much lower level of stress per family.
Today, 90 percent of mothers and 95 percent of fathers work and report high levels of stress. With so much to juggle, the family often lands low on the priority scale. A failure to prioritize needs of the family often results in unhappy spouses and sometimes divorce.
When a divorce becomes inevitable, many couples are realizing it is more beneficial to avoid the adversarial and often stressful environment of the courtroom by engaging in mediation. Mediation is a form of dispute resolution led by a skilled neutral mediator. The mediator walks the parties through the divorce topics, ranging from property division to child custody, and encourages the spouses to come to an agreement on their issues. Mediation can be a helpful process when two individuals, already dealing with the numerous stressors of life, would like to avoid any more stemming from a divorce.
Source: Huffington Post, “Overwhelmed Parents: A National Crisis,” Linda Bloom and Charlie Bloom, May 25, 2013