MEDIATION

Taking any legal dispute to the courtroom is rarely ideal. Going to court slows things down, costs money paid straight to the court, and takes control of the case out of your hands. If you have a sensitive legal matter between yourself and a third party that you want resolved amicably, then you should think about using mediation instead of litigation.

At Zantello Law Group in Lincoln City, we can help you end legal conflicts through mediation. Attorney David Cramer is an experienced mediator, who can help with both civil and family law cases, and has conducted many mediation settlement conferences as a judge in a wide variety of legal matters. With his guidance and legal knowledge, you and the opposing party can bring your conflict to an end without losing any more hair or sleep because of it.

Call (541) 994-7350 to arrange a free initial consultation about mediation today.

First and foremost, both opposing parties in a legal conflict must agree to mediation. However, in some cases, a court may order mediation to be attempted before litigation can begin.

During mediation, both parties meet in a private setting – usually the mediator’s law office – to discuss the conflict with the mediator present. They must make a genuine effort to cooperate and compromise, or else mediation will likely fail. The mediator must act as a purely neutral and unbiased third party, taking no sides and not making any decisions for either party.

During mediation, the mediator – Attorney Cramer at our law firm – will be tasked with:

 

• Helping each party identify their needs going forward and consider alternatives
• Keeping mediation on track
• Encouraging cooperation between parties

Once again, the mediator cannot try to sway the decisions of either party or make choices for them. Being neutral means being a source of legal knowledge and direction during mediation. If either party refuses to compromise or cooperate, the mediation will fail, and the case will likely need to go to court. The mediator cannot act as legal counsel for either party in any subsequent legal actions.

Whether you are trying to address a contract breach with a business partner, secure fair compensation in a personal injury claim, or resolve arguments in a family law case, mediation can be used. The main purpose of mediation is sidestepping the majority of litigation through alternative dispute resolution, sometimes called ADR. If you have any hesitance to take your legal matter to court, then you should be considering how mediation can help.

Benefits of using mediation to resole a legal conflict include:

 

•  Saving time: Waiting for a court date to open up that works for you and all other parties involved can take weeks or longer. If you have to go to court several times for the same conflict, you may be waiting weeks before each court date. Mediation dates are set by you and the opposing party, so you can often get things rolling much sooner.
•  Reducing costs: Paying the court for its time can be costly, especially if you have to go to court again and again. The costs to secure a mediator for a few hours and doing all you can to reach a conclusion in one mediation session can save you and your opposing party big.
•  Increasing control: Allowing a judge to preside over your legal case and make final decisions can be stressful. Even with the best case built by your attorney, the judge could still see things differently and rule against you. Through mediation, both parties keep equal control of the process and can make decisions a court might never have considered.
•  Lessening stress: Perhaps best of all, mediation tends to greatly reduce the stress of a legal conflict. All parties involved have more room to think and breathe. By the end of mediation, it is entirely possible that you and your opposing party will still be amicable, happy partners or friends. This is ideal if you’re going through a family law dispute, for example.

 

Let’s talk mediation today. Call our Lincoln City mediator at (541) 994-7350 now!