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Meet the Common Ground Communication Coaches

We are often asked how we are able to have such a high success rate at keep couples out of court. It is really a combination of several things. Our commitment to our clients , our innovation and the desire to continually enhance our service is really the reason. We were the first to have a “Flat Fee” option of payment. We were the first to introduce the male/female “team mediation approach. We were the first to educate divorcing couples that they could get a divorce without going to court no matter how much conflict their was. We were the first to integrate mediation and collaborative law and form a new service called “collaborative mediation”.

Our most recent innovation was the concept of having “communication coaching”. Now before we say anything further, please understand that this is not therapy. This is boot camp style, in your face, reality check time, learn how to communicate so you can be a better parent workshop. The communication coaches are all that. They are people who have been extensively trained to help people learn to communicate. Our communication coaches are some of the keenest and insightful people in the business with backgrounds in life coaching, professional individual productivity consulting, law, and many other sources of which they have gained their expertise.

Why did we add this service as an option for divorcing couples to consider? Because we found after doing over 6000 mediations and getting thousands of people to an agreement that we were still leaving a huge gap that needed to be filled.

The first gap was realizing that while we were masters at getting people to agree on divorce issues, couples were leaving our office without the skills to actually keep their agreements. Many couples liked the agreement they had but they were failing miserably at making the agreements work. They lacked communication skills. The same communication skills that could have maybe saved their marriage. The same communication skills that they needed to master if they ever hoped to have another successful marriage. Many lacked basic communication skills that could make their lives much more fulfilling in work, and personal relationships.

The second gap was the lack of ability to communicate and negotiate with each other in the mediation setting itself. We would spend far too much time teaching the couple how to respond, react, communicate, and listen as a participant in their divorce. This would often frustrate everybody because nobody wants to spend a lot of time getting divorced. The faster, the better as long as it does not comprise the quality of the agreement.

For couples that have medium to high conflict in their divorce we now offer (for clients who choose a flat fee option, it is mandatory) a pre-mediation workshop where they will meet with a communication coach and other divorcing people for a 4-hour workshop. We call it our “Common Ground 101” course. (Husbands and Wives attend the workshop separately). Here they will be coached how to:

Avoid being manipulated and how to not manipulate

Prevent Intimidation tactics

Be and active listener

Know why it is hard for people to communicate with you

Assert yourself without fear

Compromise and negotiate

And much more

We have been told that the information they receive in this workshop is the most valuable and favorite part of the mediation process. NO OTHER MEDIATION FIRM OFFERS THIS LEVEL OF DISPUTE RESOLUTION ASSISTENCE.

The second way that we use communication coaching in the divorce mediation is bring a coach in to a mediation on a one on one basis. This can be very helpful if the couple needs some specific coaching customized to their own situation. Having a communication coach work with a couple with a mediator can not only save a tremendous amount of time at reaching agreements but it will help the parties to better understand each others needs which is really the key to being good co-parents.

If you think that communication coaching would help your divorce situation then schedule a time for a free consultation with one of the Common Ground Divorce Specialists and you won't be sorry. We guarantee it.