| Q |
How much does your mediation cost
in comparison to negotiating between lawyers or counselors? |
| A |
My fee is $100 per hour, with a minimum
session of two hours. This is about half the cost of a lawyer
and comparable to the cost of a good therapist/counselor. |
| Q |
Is your mediation confidential, and
can the agreement be kept confidential. |
| A |
My mediations are strictly confidential,
even if someone later tries to use the Court to force me to
disclose what was said, I can assert confidentiality in almost
every situation. As to the agreement, yes it can be kept confidential
too, which is why some people prefer mediation to resolve
some sensitive disputes. |
| Q |
How flexible is your mediation practice? |
| A |
Timewise, I schedule at your convenience,
I have even done mediations on Christmas Day for clients who
needed immediate help. In terms of pacing, we move at the
pace agreed by the parties, some cases are on a strict time
line, others move at the emotional pace of the parties. |
| Q |
Are we restricted to the type
of agreement we mediate? |
| A |
Not at all, so long as it is generally
legal and ethical. I mediate some situations where the law
is unclear and the parties want to create their own standards.
In addition, we can craft any settlement that works, as
opposed to a Court mandated settlement which is often a
harsh money judgment. |
| Q |
How does the cost compare to
that of using lawyers to bargain for us? |
| A |
The transaction costs for lawyers
is very high compared to mediation. Face to face mediation
eliminates about half of the time, and 3/4 of the cost in
resolving a typical dispute. |
| Q |
How long do we have to wait for
an appointment? |
| A |
Not long, usually within a few days
or a week, depending on how booked my schedule is.
|
| Q |
Why do you believe that mediation
is so effective? |
| A |
It empowers the parties to make
their own decisions based on their sense of the dispute,
and the equities contained therein. It gives rein to win-win
solutions, crafted to suit the situation and the needs of
the parties, and helps the parties to see their common ground.
|
| Q |
Do I have to meet with my adversary
face to face? |
| A |
Not unless you want to. I do many
mediations within the criminal justice system and the victims
are often concerned at first about face to face meetings
with the perpetrator. However, by the end, they are usually
glad they did. For those who do not want face to face meetings,
we have facilities that allow the parties to be in separate
rooms, and I shuttle between them. |
| Q |
What types of situations have
you mediated? |
| A |
The list is pretty long, I have helped
well over a thousand people to resolve disputes. I have mediated
any number of problems from neighborhood disputes, family
and relationship disputes, interoffice problems, employment
disputes, criminal restitution, divorce, non profit and church
conflict mediations, commercial and business disputes, and
all types of real estate related disputes including landlord/tenant,
adjoining land owner, contractor/owner and Realtor/homeowner
disputes. |
| Q |
What are the benefits of mediation? |
| A |
The benefits of mediation are:
| ECONOMICAL |
Mediation costs much less than
litigation. |
| CONFIDENTIAL |
No one can compel disclosure
of anything shared in mediation. |
| EMPOWERING |
Parties voluntarily seek a satisfactory
settlement. |
| CLEAR AND DIRECT
COMMUNICATION |
A neutral third party mediator
facilitates consensus through an even flow of communication;
litigation often encourages power tactics. |
| EFFICIENT |
Parties can convene as circumstances
warrant, including evening and weekend sessions. |
| NEUTRAL |
Parties are often more open with
a mediator present. A mediator can balance uneven situations
which enhances the prospect for compromise and the long-term
well-being of each participant. |
| FLEXIBLE |
Parties creatively customize
settlement terms to maximize their mutual well-being. |
|
