Mediation services may be used as an alternative to litigation or more generally to address an impasse in any relationship, professional or personal. In cases that would otherwise be litigated, mediation regularly saves disputants multi-fold in both time and money. Reduction of stress is another benefit of mediation, by averting the hardship of a court battle and reducing accumulated tension in a conflicted relationship.
Mediation Goals
As a mediator, I regularly witness the following outcomes:
- Material resolutions;
- Improved understanding as people have the opportunity to speak and hear each others’ truth in a supported space;
- Refreshed respect and goodwill;
- Clarification of expectations and boundaries;
- Fresh options and courses of action (previously impossible);
- A sense of personal peace;
- Mutual closure.
The Mediation Process
Inquiry
Mediation starts when one party in a dispute contacts me as a prospective mediator. In this initial free consultation I listen and give feedback of my assessment of the appropriateness of mediation for your case.
Preliminaries
If I believe your case would benefit from mediation and you agree, consent to proceed is sought from all involved parties and a date is selected. Consent forms and a deposit are required from all parties and serve to reserve the agreed mediation date and session time. All mediation sessions are scheduled for a minimum 3 hours, possibly more depending on the case. Once all stake-holding parties have agreed to mediate, I proceed with conducting participant intake interviews.
Formal Session
The formal mediation session is held in a setting I arrange, neutral and private to support the mediation process. All stake-holding parties must be present or represented and may be accompanied by legal counsel. I conduct “open” mediation sessions in which I facilitate interaction between disputing parties, beginning with a description the process and goals of mediation. Depending on the nature of the mediation and the needs I assess, I may hold private break-out sessions, or caucuses, to advance the negotiation. Sometimes a mediation cannot be resolved in one session and an additional meeting is set to continue negotiations. It also happens that parties may reconsider a previously rejected settlement offer and a continued mediation session is requested.
Resolution
At the conclusion of our mediation, I draft and print hard copies of the settled agreement, if one has been reached. All participating parties are provided a copy of this agreement which may serve as evidence demonstrating effort to resolve conflict between disputing parties.
My Style as a Mediator
As a mediator I am kind and efficient. My 13 years of therapeutic training have helped me cultivate acute empathy and listening skills, and a capacity, when necessary, to deal with intense heat in conflict. I have compassion for the stress of conflict and am strategic in advancing realistic solutions.
Fees
I charge no administrative fee. My rate applies to any discussion and negotiation (in-person, phone, and electronic) after the free consultation. As all consultation and mediation time is spent in the service of reaching an agreement to benefit all parties, fees are divided and billed equally among participating parties, irrespective of varying amounts of time used by any particular party.
For 2-Party Mediations, I charge $300/hr, split evenly between parties, unless otherwise agreed.
For 3-Party Mediations, I charge $300/hr plus $50/hr for each additional disputing party, split evenly between parties, unless otherwise agreed.
I offer sliding scale for some situations.
If you are considering mediation, please contact me directly to discuss your case.
Wendy Ormiston, LCSW 