8 Benefits of Mediation
Mediation is a process in which two parties, guided by a neutral third-party, work cooperatively to find mutually beneficial solutions to resolve issues that must be decided when a couple separates.
Mediation is an alternative to the traditional, adversarial divorce process. The goal is to help couples arrive at solutions in which both parties are able to have most of their needs met.
There are 8 very beneficial reasons to go through mediation to resolve your differences:
- Substantial savings in finances and time
- Both parties maintain their dignity because agreements are win-win
- Parties educated about their situation are ale to make informed decisions
- Cooperative process encourages individuals to create long-term agreement
- All options are explored to find the best ones for the family
- Individuals control their own outcomes – not attorneys or judges
- Valuable skills are learned that help solve future problems
- Parents work together to obtain the best solutions for their children
Louis R. Fine practices law in both Cook and Lake Counties with a concentration in the area of domestic relations including divorce and child custody. He obtained his J.D. from DePaul University Law School in 1968 and B.A. from the University of Illinois in 1965.
He has served as Chief Counsel for the Illinois Legislative Investigating Commission; Chief Attorney for the Charitable Trust and Solicitation Division of the Office of the Attorney General for the State of Illinois, and Chief Prosecuting Attorney for the Department of Professional Regulation, which licenses doctors and accountants, as well as 35-40 other professions and trades.
Before engaging in the general practice of law, Fine taught at the Chicago State Hospital for 18 months where he instructed emotionally disturbed, retarded, abused and runaway teenagers. Deeply committed to community service, he donates his time to a number of important causes including the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago, which recently honored him for his many years of pro bono legal services on behalf of the Foundation's Homeless Advocacy Program and Prisoners Project. The latter provides civil legal aid to male and female prisoners in the areas of family law and public benefits.
Fine lends his expertise on guardianship matters to victims of AIDS through the AIDS Legal Council of Chicago. He is a former board member of HAVEN, a teenage crisis program located on the North Shore, and was involved with the Jewish Children's Bureau. His concerns extend into the cultural community as a volunteer for Lawyers for the Creative Arts. For the past two years, he has contributed his culinary talents to preparation and service of pre-Christmas dinner for 40 homeless Chicagoans at the Inspiration Cafe.
Among his other professional associations, Fine is a member of the Family Law Committee and the Individual Rights and Responsibilities Committee of the American Bar Association; an arbitrator for the Mandatory Arbitration Program of Lake County; an arbitration panelist for the Circuit Court of Cook County, and an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association in Chicago.
As a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Fine has served on its Professional Ethics committee. He also is a former member of the Decalogue Society of Attorneys.
In 1993 Fine developed a highly successful seminar for continuing education programs on "Power Over Your Divorce: A Practical Guide for Women," which he continues to offer through New Trier Extension and the College of Lake County.
Born in 1943, Fine grew up on Chicago's North Side and attended Roosevelt High School. He resides in Highland Park with his wife, Vicki.
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