Coronavirus Pandemic (and the “Pandemic” board game) demonstrate the advantages of non-adversarial processes.

Posted in Divorce,Mediation, negotiation & dispute resolution on March 26, 2020

Courtesy of New York Times
Image courtesy of Matt Leacock, The New York Times | March 31, 2020

For the last several years, we here have been talking and writing about “Divorce Without Destruction” and how people can get more, and better results, using cooperative strategies, than they could using adversarial ones. Game Theory teaches this and life bears it out.

The latest (painful) lesson comes from the Coronavirus pandemic and the Pandemic board game (see https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/opinion/pandemic-game-covid.html). In both, no one can win alone. We all need to cooperate and work collaboratively to bring the infection rate down and decrease its spread. When we all work together, we all win and stay safer and healthier. But even one selfish actor can ruin it for many others. Every selfish, uncompliant actor, creates waves of ill effects for others.

That is the beauty of a “cooperative” game, where people learn to work together for mutual benefit. The same is true in divorce. A skilled negotiator can begin to start establishing goodwill and trust between the parties, allowing them to find the best resolution that serves everyone, to every person’s own benefit.