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Mediating Child Custody Disputes For High Conflict Couples: Structuring Mediation To Accommodate The Needs & Desires Of Litigious Parents , Jessica J. Sauer

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

While alternative dispute resolution has become widely accepted in recent years, several types of legal disagreements continue to be regarded as unsuitable for mediation. Child custody disputes between "high conflict" couples are one such category. Unfortunately, the process of litigating custody disputes between high conflict couples can be more damaging to children than the parents' actual divorce. Instead of dismissing mediation out of hand because of the difficulties in helping these parents see eye-to-eye, scholars might be wise to reevaluate the potential for mediating these disputes. This article will attempt to advance this idea in several ways. To begin, it …