Author: Anna Sciotti
The Conversation Beneath the Conversation
One of the stranger things about mediation is how often we start by talking about one thing and eventually realize we’re talking about something else entirely. Tuesday pickup is a disaster. Okay. Let’s talk about Tuesday. Except twenty minutes later, Tuesday is doing just fine. Tuesday was minding its own business. The actual problem has… Read more
Family Mediation vs. Litigation: What’s the Difference?
Every family lawyer’s favorite sentence is probably, “I have a quick question.” I’m kidding. Mostly. Lawyers have an important job. So do judges. So do mediators. The confusion usually starts when we treat those jobs like different versions of the same thing. They’re not. If you need someone advocating specifically for your legal interests, that’s… Read more
The Conversation You Think You’re Going to Have Usually Isn’t the One You Have
People rarely come to mediation wondering what they’re going to talk about. By the time they’re sitting in the room, they usually have the agenda figured out in their minds. Parenting schedule. The house. Bank accounts. Child support. The list feels clear before the conversation even begins. Then something interesting happens. The conversation almost never… Read more
What is Full Transparency and Why Does it Matter?
Alright, let’s back up. Full transparency. What does that actually mean? Basically, we keep it honest. No mystery bank accounts. No conveniently forgotten credit cards. No Oh, I didn’t think that account mattered after we’ve spent two hours talking about finances. If we’re making decisions about money, property, parenting, or anything else that depends on… Read more
Can I Go Through Family Mediation Without an Attorney?
This is a topic that seems obvious but really isn’t. When I first went through my divorce, I immediately thought, Who’s my attorney, not What can be figured out in mediation. I didn’t understand that I control the process. I didn’t understand that I was supposed to not only participate, but make the decisions. I… Read more
Beyond the Paper: Living the Agreement
Explores why agreements that look fine on paper can feel hard in real life—especially once day-to-day routines kick in. General education only: no advice, no case examples, no “what you should do. Educational only. Read more
What to Expect at Your First Mediation Session
If you’ve never been to mediation before, you’re probably filling in the blanks yourself. Nervous is normal. You don’t need a monologue prepared, and you certainly don’t need all the answers squared away. The great part is, you already have the boring paperwork out of the way. You’ve completed the forms. I’ve reviewed them, and… Read more
How Mediation Works at My Fair Mediation
When most people think about family mediation they imagine a cold room with the person you can’t stand right now, and someone else, the mediator, someone you just met. It doesn’t exactly set the scene for warm, fuzzy, open conversations. At MFM, we don’t like cold rooms. I don’t mean 65 degrees Fahrenheit, I mean… Read more
Is Family Mediation Right for My Situation?
One of the most common questions I hear is, “How do I know if mediation is right for us?” Usually, people have already developed their own unofficial eligibility requirements by the time they ask me. We argue too much. We don’t communicate well. They never listen to me. We can’t agree on anything. We can… Read more
What Mediation Can’t Do (and What People Secretly Wish It Would)
Every once in a while, someone walks into mediation hoping it’s about to perform a small miracle. I wish I could tell you it works that way. It doesn’t. Mediation can be incredibly useful, but part of using it well is understanding what it can’t do. Those limits aren’t flaws in the process. They’re actually… Read more
