- CALL FOR A
CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATION - (561) 206-0040
Florida’s senior population is rising. According to the 2020 census, Florida will have nearly 7.3 million seniors. Medicare, Social Security, assisted living, and financial independence is all issues that concern elderly Floridians.
Yet, issues like caregiving responsibilities, residence, safety and health, property sale, and inheritance distribution can tear families apart for years. When communication and decision-making break down, families may require the intervention of a qualified mediator.
Elder Mediators are qualified to handle and resolve the family issues involving aging parents that benefit all parties.
Elder mediation gives a chance for older individuals to communicate openly with family members about values they hold and risks they are or are not prepared to accept. The elder member can disclose their needs for help during mediation without fearing legal involvement or dissolution of the family.
These deep-seated disputes make life difficult for everyone who is affected by them. In addition, when a parent is ill and may only have a finite amount of time, it becomes more critical to address these issues.
One option is to engage the services of an elder mediator. Elder mediation is indeed expensive, but it may be well worth the cost if it aids your family is coming to a consensus on how to proceed and work together in caring for your aging loved one.
Elder Mediation assists seniors, their adult children, and others in resolving disputes involving:
Reduced Costs – To effectively present all of one’s arguments and evidence in court, one must pay an attorney. Of course, you can always choose to represent yourself. However, if you lack legal understanding and experience, you may misrepresent yourself. Moreover, if the other party has a trained legal advisor on their side, your inexperience may be exploited.
Aside from the attorney fees, various other expenses must pay before your case is filed. Filing fees, witness fees, service fees, and appeal fees are all required payments.
Faster Dispute Resolution – Court cases can last months or even years without resolution as individuals have various legal options to appeal a court’s decision.
For example, if a party is dissatisfied with the results of the first judgment, they can appeal to a higher court to reconsider their case. The courts of appeal are bustling, as expected, because most people who lose a legal dispute will try to overturn the verdict in their favor.
Sets a Positive Tone – Court cases are typically considered a weapon against those who disagree with your views. So, defendants rarely leave court on good terms.
It is considered that two people competing for a ward’s guardianship are related or friends. Therefore, taking the legal disagreement to court can severely harm these relationships, as well as the ward’s mental and emotional health.
By mediating your guardianship disagreement, you set the tone for future interactions with all parties. Since the process is less adversarial, the true goal of the dispute is revealed – the best interests of the kid or ward. Due to the child’s centrality in the process, participants are more willing to compromise, even though it means sacrificing their intentions.
In contrast to counseling or therapy, in which you talk and work out serious difficulties over months or years, elder mediation is a one-time event.
Mediation focuses on the issues that need to be addressed immediately—the mediator assists in keeping the conversation going forward and ensuring that everyone is heard. Typically, only a few sessions are required for a family.
The Lloyd B. Sokolow Mediation Services recommends that you hire a mediator the same way you would approach engaging other professionals, such as lawyers, care managers, or financial planners.
In general, you should inquire about the following aspects of the mediator:
Office
Links
