FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
See the "typical process" outlined below, which includes fees and billing.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
1.) generally, start with an initial telephone consultation of approximately 1 hour with a party or parties, depending on the situation. This gives me the opportunity to obtain a sense of the matter, and for the parties to gain enough of a sense of me to decide if they would want to work with me further. I would describe how we might proceed if I am engaged, including the structuring of the process, and the setting of objectives, and to provide an estimate of time and cost, There is a flat fee for this session of $125. 2.) if there are subsequent sessions, discussions could be continued in face to face meetings, online, or by telephone/skype, subject to the approval of all parties involved. 3. each of those sessions will be billed at an hourly rate of $150 per hour and billed against an initial requested retainer only for time expended, with remaining un-billed funds refunded should the matter be settled or my services ended. 4. any party has the right to discontinue services for any reason at any time.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I began to actively encourage mediation as a preferred and safe method for people to resolve complex issues and controversies, even when they do not trust each other. And, that even if they are frustrated and angry, they can most often negotiate for themselves, with support, better than others can for them. It became evident to me that the resolution of such matters, whether personal or business, require people to give simultaneous attention to the business, personal and legal issues at the same time and not to separate them. Since then, I have practiced, studied, written, and taught negotiation and mediative strategies to lawyers, judges, business people, privately and in colleges and universities nationally and internationally and for close to 40 years. Although I will not be practicing law or giving legal advice in my role as negotiation consultant or mediator, I practiced law for some 25 years and am familiar with the legal issues that parties must be aware of and, if necessary, obtain legal representation.