ABSTRACT
In the last few decades, mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for disputes between divorcing, divorced, or never-married parents have spread rapidly, particularly for conflicts involving custody and other issues about children. The growth of mediation followed increasing rates of divorce in the United States and elsewhere in the industrialized world, and was motivated by a general dissatisfaction with the traditional adversary methods for settling these disputes through attorney negotiations or litigation. Advocates promised that mediation and other forms of ADR would achieve the two broad, but not always fully compatible, goals of making dispute resolution both more efficient and increasingly family friendly.
