Legal mediation in many cases can replace court proceedings as a means of settling a dispute.  In the case of Jill Mustard, it also meant a settlement of about $170,000.  At issue was her claim that the oil and gas company she worked for, Woodhouse, discriminated against her based on her gender.

Legal Mediation Settles the Case

The facts in the case were that Ms.  Mustard took maternity leave.  When she returned to her job as an executive with the Australian company, she found that she had been demoted.  To Mustard, there was a clear linkage between her leave and her loss of status, along with related salary and benefits, at the company.

Believing she had been offered a settlement by the company, Ms.  Mustard went public with the issue earlier this year, but the company at that time announced that the settlement offer had never been finalized.  Both parties were ordered to mediate further to reach a true settlement.

An agreement last night awarded Ms.  Mustard not only $170,000, but also included an additional award of more than a third of that amount in order to reimburse her for legal fees associated with the dispute.  According to Woodhouse, the settlement is not an admission of any sort of liability.

Find a Mediation Attorney in the National Mediation Directory.