Elder and Adult Family Mediation

March 20, 2012  |  Elizabeth A. Schading

Family harmony can be jeopardized when difficult decisions need to be made and adult siblings and parents don’t agree. Maybe you think your Mom should move into assisted living. Or, maybe you’re uncomfortable with Dad’s driving. You might think that it’s time to sell the family cabin, but your sister loves the cabin and can’t bear to part with it and all the memories.
Where do you go when the people most like you – those sharing your genes – and with whom you have more history than anyone else in the world, can’t see eye to eye? The legal system isn’t your best option if you’re hoping to continue those family ties after the issue is resolved. A better option is mediation.
Mediation allows decisions to be made by the people most affected. It’s a confidential process which allows for creativity but requires compromise. A trained mediator can facilitate a discussion with the ultimate goal of preserving family relationships while resolving the complex interests of all involved.
If decisions are being made for and sometimes with an elderly parent, that parent is going to want to preserve as much independence as possible. Adult children might have competing concerns about safety and appropriate care.
And then there’s money – who has it, who needs it and what’s the plan for the future? Liz Schading and Bill Huefner are teaming up to bring you their combined expertise in family mediation and estate planning/tax.
Liz has been a family law lawyer with BGS since 1992, and rule 114 qualified in mediation since 1994. Bill, a former IRS agent, has been practicing probate, estate planning and tax with BGS since 1993. We can mediate at our location or yours.
Call Liz at 763-783-5144 if you are interesting in finding out what we can do for you.