What is Mediation?
Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), which allows individuals involved in a dispute the opportunity to work together towards ending a conflict and and reach a peaceful settlement. The mediator listens to all sides of the dispute, identifying both parties issues, and exploring underlying interests and possible solutions. Each party has the opportunity to tell their story and to hear the other person while focusing on moving forward. Mediators remain neutral throughout the process and unlike a judge, mediators do not decide the outcome; the outcome is determined by the parties themselves. Many disputes can be resolved outside of court, including estates, separation, divorce, employment grievances, construction, insurance business partnerships, commercial disputes, record label and copyright disputes, defamation and internet, landlord and tenant disputes, medical cases and more. The mediator directs the meetings with the mediation process and can also facilitate in getting the parties together, to get the process started. He/she helps everyone by drawing out the issues, bringing clarity to the situation, while helping parties to effectively come up with creative solutions to settlement. The mediator will have excellent communication skills and the ability to handle difficult emotions, while keeping parties focused through the process until a settlement is reached. A mediator can also act as a resource providing you with all the necessary connections and legal resources to handle your case. They are not necessarily lawyers, and do not give legal advice. In many situations it is best to have an attorney available for legal advice and present during the mediation sessions if need be.
Benefits
- Mediation can save you a lot of money in reduced legal fees and lengthy court cases.
- Mediation is much less stressful then going to court.
- It can save you a lot of time. A conflict often be resolved in a week to a month as opposed to 1- 2 years in court, and waiting for a court date.
- Convenience: Can be held in a convenient location with flexible days and hours.
- High Success Rates: Parties are much more likely to follow through with a mediated agreement because they have drawn it up themselves.
- Empowering to Both Parties: Both sides craft and control the outcome.
- Safe: Mediation provides a safe and ethical professional environment, where abuse is not allowed.
- Confidentiality: Mediation sessions are confidential, except in rare cases where there may be a lot of crime involved.
- Healing: Mediation sessions can heal the underlying emotional damage that otherwise would have remained in a relationship, and/or become much worse having gone to court. It can often repair the hurt and save relationships, thus allowing both parties to move forward with their lives in harmony and feeling good about how they handled the situation.
- Effective Communication: The experience of mediation can teach you a lot about communication and the process of handling conflict in future situations.
- Voluntary: No one is forced into it. All parties must be willingly agree to participate.
- Non – Judgmental: Mediation is a humanitarian approach where no one is judged or devalued. Mediators are neutral and do not take sides, nor tell parties what to do.
- Positive Outcomes. Most parties can move forward with projects, and jobs, etc. They have Improved communications, having had their story heard, being understood and validated. Often future relationships are rethought and repaired.
- Positive Research: Research indicates that the mediation process is becoming more popular worldwide as an effective means to handling conflict. The results are highly satisfactory.
Fees:
Billing is done on an hourly rate. The total cost is completely varied depending on how long the process takes and the number of meetings it takes to reach a settlement. There can be also additional costs for the renting of a boardroom.
Why choose Global Mediation?
Global Mediation is completely committed to providing you with professional services, the right people that may be required for your case, and helping you resolve your dispute in a professional and friendly manner. Global Mediation offers worldwide services, helping you to reach parties in another country, through video conferencing and facilitation. Global Mediation also offers coaching and consulting services to help you achieve your desired results!