What is Mediation?
Mediation is Voluntary - It encourages cooperative problem solving. Your neutral mediator maintains order during the mediation and makes certain both sides are heard. The mediator is not an advocate. The mediator does not decide the outcome. The mediator assists people in communicating and reaching their own agreements.
Mediation is Simple - The basics of Dispute Resolution are simple. Two or more people are in a dispute. One person contacts the others with the option of mediation instead of litigation. They agree on what method of Dispute Resolution will best suit their situation.
Qualified Neutrals - We have attorneys and mediators who are Rule 114 qualified neutrals. A qualified neutral must be qualified through continuing education courses. Maintaining qualification as a neutral requires continuing education credits every year. In Mediation you create your own agreement. Research has shown that people are more likely to abide by agreements they create.
Legally Trained Mediator - While a neutral does not have to be an attorney, a legally trained neutral is sometimes the best option. Most disputes have legal implications. Lawyers are better equipped to handle the legal aspects of Dispute Resolution. A mediator that is also a lawyer can take the facts and figure out how the law applies.
Circle Facilitators –. Another powerful way to resolve conflict is a restorative justice circle, that anyone can start by sitting down with a trained facilitator. Here we work to help you communicate with each other to identify the sources of conflict, central themes and common topics including behaviors that can cause upset. Circle facilitators advocate a unitive system of justice that is equal and voluntary, and integrates restorative justice practices, where those in conflict meet in a safe space, hear each other out, and decide what to do about their conflict.