Marital mediators come from many backgrounds, although most are also divorce mediators. This is not actually ironic, since divorce mediators gain great experience on what makes marriage fail. By using this information, divorce mediators can identify problems and help marriages improve.
Divorce mediators are generally either lawyers, or have backgrounds in mental health or education.
Marital mediators are often (but not always) people in long-term marriages, who understand the struggles and benefits of long-term marriage. Because most marital mediators are divorce mediators, they have a deep understanding of the rules of divorce, and can help couples by imparting information as to what would happen if they did divorce. That way a couple can get accurate information as to the practical and financial effects of divorce.
Part of marital mediation is educational. Risk profiles can be pointed out to mediation clients, and “normalization” of typical marital stresses can help couples realize that their problems are problem universal.
