Mediation

"Agree, for the law is costly." William Camden

"Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. Point out to them that the nominal winner is often the real loser – in fees, expenses and waste of time." President Abraham Lincoln

Mediation is negotiation facilitated by a third party. The process is private, voluntary, informal and non-binding. Mediation involves the parties of all sides of the dispute, their attorneys and a trained mediator, and it may be done pre-suit or during the course of litigation.

Why mediate?
There is no guaranty of the outcome or the results of a trial. The tangible and intangible costs of discovering the results are often high. Consequently, at some stage of the disagreement, it is worth the relatively small costs of mediation to see if there is common ground with which every- one can live to avoid the considerable time and expense the parties will incur from protracted litigation. Mediation is an effective tool for doing just that.

Mediation leaves control over the dispute and the terms of any settlement in the hands of the parties themselves, rather than to a judge or jury. The mediator does not decide the case – instead the mediator simply helps the parties come up with the solution that, while not "ideal" and not an absolute "win" for either side, is acceptable to everyone. The mediator's primary role is to act as an "agent of reality," someone who points out privately and candidly to each side what their risks are and how much it is likely to cost for that "day in court."

Amy has experience in the trenches, at the courthouse, and in front of juries and judges which provides that dose of reality clients desperately need to hear. As mediator, she strives to artfully and diplomatically present the risks and benefits in an analytical and precise manner utilizing her real life trial experiences. She is a remarkable quick study on what motivates the parties and that makes her particularly effective at meeting those needs.