Mediation.
Mediation is a controlled, non-confrontational process that allows people involved in a dispute to participate in forming their own settlement agreement. In most cases, the parties’ attorneys accompany them to mediation and the mediator is also an attorney who has either been agreed upon by the parties’ attorneys or appointed by the Court. Courts encourage and sometimes mandate mediation because it very often leads to a resolution of your case without requiring the Court to impose the final terms.
The mediator is neutral, does not represent either party and does not make judgments or decisions. Even when parties have disagreements, they rarely disagree about everything. Identifying where points of agreement exist avoids wasting time and money on those areas and can often lead to complete resolution of all issues in your case.
Mediation also offers other benefits. It is confidential, less formal and faster than the lengthy court process. Also, since both parties are involved in shaping a solution, it improves the chances that a remedy will be long lasting. Mediated agreements are more often followed by both parties and result in less animosity and better relationships among those affected.
In addition to representing clients in contested and uncontested cases, Christina Molitor is a trained mediator.