Summary:

Mediation and Collaborative Law provide you with a sense of convenience that you may not find with typical litigation.

Video Transcription:

Mediation and Collaborative Law can provide you a sense of convenience as you go through this process that you just won’t find with traditional litigation. If you litigate, you get put on the court calendar, and you’re subject to the whims and demands of a court that’s understaffed and overburdened right now. With mediation and collaborative law you will have scheduled meetings that are calendared well in advance, there will be set agendas, and you’ll be prepared for those agendas to talk about those issues that are coming up that day. In addition, these meetings can be scheduled earlier in the morning, later in the day- whatever really works best for your schedule.

Summary:

Mediation and Collaborative Law offer you control of the process that will give you a greater sense of empowerment.

Video Transcription:

One of the most important benefits of mediation and Collaborative Law is that it provides you with a much greater sense of control over the process. In traditional litigation, you are basically giving up your power to make decisions for your future to a judge. In mediation and Collaborative Law, you’re going to be actively engaged in crafting the agreement that you are going to live by not only now but in the future. That provides you with a much greater sense of empowerment that will help you as you move forward into the next stage of your life.

Summary:

Confidentiality is a major benefit of mediation and Collaborative Law.

Video Transcription:

Mediation and Collaborative Law can provide you with a sense of confidentiality that you just can’t get through regular traditional litigation. During the process you might need to discuss some very sensitive issues: financial matters, perhaps a problem with one of the children in the family, or even an indiscretion. Those discussions are much better had in a private setting like a conference room rather than in a public forum like a courtroom.

Summary:

Mediation and Collaborative Law can be much more cost effective than traditional litigation.

Video Transcription:

Potential clients often ask me how mediation and Collaborative Law may be more cost effective than traditional litigation, and there are a couple of ways that that can take place. First, in mediation and Collaborative Law you won’t spend a lot of time standing around a courthouse, waiting with your attorney to be called for a motion or a conference. That’s going to save you considerable money. In addition, in mediation and Collaborative Law, I use what’s often called a “neutral expert.” For example, if a couple needs to have a business valued, or a house valued, we can bring in someone who’s trained, not only in that specific field of valuation, but also is trained as a neutral, which means they’re not working for either side, they’re working for everyone. In traditional litigation, each side would typically hire their own valuation professional, and they would come up with a number, and inevitably the numbers don’t agree and you end up hiring perhaps a third person to referee between the two and come up with the real number. Using that one neutral expert can create tremendous savings for clients that are using mediation and Collaborative Law.