Mediation:
Mediation is the most cost effective way to attempt to resolve disputes and it can be used before, during or even after litigation. Mediations are confidential proceedings, conducted by a neutral party with the goal of assisting the parties toward the creation of a settlement agreement. In some types of cases, particularly divorce and paternity matters, mediation is a mandatory step prior to the scheduling of a trial. Parties can meet privately with a mediator or parties and their lawyers can participate in a mediation session. In some cases, parties prefer to mediate from separate rooms exchanging proposals only through the mediator while in other cases the parties remain in the room together voicing their opinions directly to the other party with the mediator facilitating the communication and offering different ideas and proposals to both people at the same time. In either event, the mediator will often need to meet privately with each party at some point over the course of the mediation in order to get a better understanding of his/her perspective and ideas about settlement. In the event that a settlement is reached, the mediator will draft the settlement agreement and present it to the parties unless one or more of the parties has retained a lawyer and the parties agree that an attorney present at the mediation will prepare the settlement document.
At Cameron Baker Law Firm we schedule mediations at a flat hourly rate for two hours of time or longer depending on the type of case and the number of issues that need to be resolved by the parties. If you and the person that you have a dispute with wish to limit the amount of money that may need to be spent hiring lawyers and you wish to limit the number of trips to court you may need to make, call today to discuss mediation options and costs.