Professional debt mediation is a technique commonly employed by businesses and families in financial distress.  Now, Beltway insiders are beginning to question whether the same technique could have helped to avert the recent debt-ceiling crisis in Washington, D.C.

A debt-limit compromise was finally reached this week and passed the House of Representatives with less than 24 hours remaining before the United States ran out of money to meet its financial obligations.  The compromise still needs to be passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Barack Obama.  Newscasters and ordinary citizens alike watched the ongoing negotiations toward a compromise with feelings of distress during the weeks and months prior to today's House vote.

Professional Debt Mediation Provides Structure

Even though both Republicans and Democrats agreed that the debt ceiling needed to be increased, the political parties appeared unable to reach a compromise acceptable to both sides.  This is precisely the type of situation in which government mediation can be of use.  Assisted negotiation, also known as alternative dispute resolution, can help parties brainstorm new solutions that might not have occurred to them without the presence of a mediation attorney skilled in problem-solving techniques.  One advantage that professional mediation attorneys have over politicians is a great familiarity with the processes, structures, and techniques that can help parties in dispute stop verbally sparring at one another in favor of finding true and lasting solutions.