Divorce mediators assist couples in reaching an agreement in situations where they cannot simply sit down and work things out on their own. There are two types of divorce mediation. Court ordered mediation generally deals with issues of child custody and visitation. Some family courts automatically send couples into mediation if they have children. This is designed to protect the interests of the child. Unlike arbitration, mediation is not binding. The neutral third party is present simply to facilitate agreement. A private divorce mediator can help couples sort out their finances in addition to child custody issues. This type of service is usually billed by the hour, so the faster the parties can work things out the less it will cost. Mediation is much less costly than going to trial. Some individuals choose to retain legal counsel in addition to going through mediation so that they will be fully informed about their rights in the divorce.