NCJ Number
115527
Journal
Mediation Quarterly Issue: 22 Dated: (Winter 1988) Pages: 61-67
Date Published
1988
Length
7 pages
Annotation
An analysis of all 218 divorce cases that were mediated in 1985 in the Maine District Court of Augusta showed that more parties eventually reached an agreement than mediators recorded at the end of the mediation session and that only 1 percent of the mediated agreements dissolved and had to go to a contested hearing.
Abstract
Data came from the records in the court files. The analysis compared the result reported by the mediator at the end of each mediation session with the actual court disposition. Results showed that 50 percent of the cases were divorces, while 36 percent were divorce amendments. Other cases involved protection from abuse and orders regarding children. The agreements reached in mediation were likely to be maintained until they were presented to the judge and obtained authority as court orders. The mediated cases that did not reach agreements were more likely to receive uncontested orders than to proceed to contested trials. In addition, complaints for divorce were the most likely to settle in mediation, with 82 percent receiving uncontested orders. Tables.