Co-mediation

Forum Mundial de Mediación - World Mediation Forum - Forum Mondial de Médiation

FAMILY MEDIATION:DE-CONSTRUCTION of a COMPLEXITY by Marinés Suares

6.4: Co-mediation

This issue is particularly important in my country, because it is set forth in the draft bill that this kind of mediations shall be carried out in an interdisciplinary co-mediation.

No doubt, this can have great advantages. But we must also bear in mind that forming a co-mediators team is not an easy task.

Advantages:

1) Interdisciplinary look.
2) Presence of both genders.
3) Possibility of forming a co-mediation regarding different races, religions, etc.
4) Use of special techniques, such as the reflective team.
5) Possibility of re-working the meeting.
6) Possibility of showing a live model of functional communication.
7) Possibility of enacting a collaborative model.
8) Possibility of a greater involvement of a mediator while the other plays the role of a participating observer, less involved.

Disadvantages:

1) Difficulties in the enunciation of different models.
2) Difficulties coming from problems existing between the co-mediators.
3) Difficulties due to very legal and very psychological views, losing the mediation view.
4) Alliances.
5) Difficulties in the communication between co-mediators.

If we analyze the advantages and disadvantages, we can see that the former surpass the latter. The way of overcoming the disadvantages is the previous knowledge and the personal work of those who will become co-mediators. Co-mediation between symmetrical mediators, with the same level of training and experience must be analyzed. Sometimes a knowledgeable mediator works with another less-experienced one; even though this can be a very good device for learning the role, it does not meet the specific functions of co-mediation, and in these cases we should pay attention to the "unbalance of power" model that is shown to the parties.

Even though the draft bill does not state it, working in teams (co-mediators at one side of the mirror-window and the team at the other side) with this device used for family therapy, enables the whole team to have different views given their location, which can make the work richer. This way of working also permits the use of the reflective team technique from the other side of the mirror-window. In this case, we have to keep in mind that the mediators that are with the parties are in charge of the management of the mediation, no matter how experienced the people who assist them from the other side of the mirror are.

Go to Legal System
Back to Mediator
Back to Home Page
Make Comments
How to Publish

1.Why a...?

2. Contents

3. Mediating

4. Family

5. Railing

6. Mediator

7. Legal System

8. Social System

9. Bibliography

F M M: fmmediac@lander.es Websmaster:misuares@ciudad.com.ar

This page hosted by Geocities. Get your own free Home Page