Divorce mediation in the popular culture may be a dispute resolution process associated almost exclusively with heterosexual couples, but as laws change in more and more states, the use of this process is changing to admit same sex couples as well.  Divorce mediation is a cost-effective alternative for people who have a nontraditional marriage. 

States such as Massachusetts, among others, have a growing number of same sex couples and other states such as New York are poised to have them in years to come.  Homosexual couples, just like heterosexual couples, may find that they have marital problems that cannot be overcome and necessitate a divorce.  In these cases, mediation divorce can help the spouses save both time and money as they work out an amicable parting of the ways.

Divorce Mediation Can Involve Child Custody Issues

Same sex couples may have adopted children or natural children from previous relationships.  This means that in many cases, an amicable divorce requires a mediation attorney skilled in family mediation as well as other issues.  Studies have confirmed that children suffer when their adoptive or natural parents experience a severe rupture in a marital relationship, but this suffering can be reduced by avoiding the adversarial process usually associated with a traditional court-based divorce.  Family mediation can assist divorcing same sex couples to consider the emotional needs of their children during the separation and divorce process.  Depending on the couple's assets, real estate mediation may also be needed during this process.