FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
We don't charge any retainer (i.e. up-front fee). The mediation fee is on a pay-as-you-go basis, at an hourly rate chargeable in 10-minute increments, and payable at the end of each mediation session. My preference is for the mediation fee to be divided equally between the parties because this ensures an equal monetary commitment to the process. However, occasionally, one party will pay a greater proportion or even all of the fee.
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
Associates told me that I had the natural presence of a diplomat and peace-maker. That, combined with my graduate studies in alternative dispute resolution, induced me to train and (later) practice as a mediator.
- What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
When hiring a mediator, the most important consideration is his/her dispute resolution skills. Does this mediator sound like he/she can win not only my trust but also that of the other party in the dispute? Is he/she demonstrating a style and presence that can get us out of this dispute and back to a place where our relationship as cotenants or condo owners is stabilized and functional so we can each enjoy our respective living environments? Remember also, when you're hiring a mediator, you aren't hiring an attorney to represent you in a litigation. (That may become necessary if the mediation fails.) Mediation is a first resort -- an opportunity for a win-win resolution before things possibly become very ugly and very costly.