Mediation
In cases where an agreement is possible or likely, attorneys may consider mediation which is available through the Court. There are several benefits to mediation, including:
- Cost - Mediation usually achieves a resolution in a matter of hours. Taking less time means expending less money on fees and costs
- Confidentiality - Mediation remains strictly confidential. No one but the parties to the dispute and the mediator knows what transpired. The only exceptions to such strict confidentiality usually involve child abuse or actual, or threatened, criminal acts.
- Control - Mediation increases the control the parties have over the resolution. In a court case, the parties obtain a resolution but control resides with the judge or magistrate.
- Compliance - Since the result is attained by the parties working together, compliance with the mediated agreement is usually high.
- Support - Mediators are trained in working with difficult situations. The mediator helps the parties think "outside the box" for possible solutions to the dispute, broadening the range of possible solutions.