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| THERE'S A BETTER WAY TO RESOLVE YOUR DISPUTES THAN COSTLY AND TIME-CONSUMING LITIGATION! | |||||||||||||||
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What Are You Fighting About?
Are you involved in a dispute with customer, client, neighbor or even a family member that you just can’t seem to work out no matter how hard you’ve tried? Are things going from bad to worse and does it look like you're headed toward the courthouse steps? Lawsuits: The Cost of Victory; The Agony of Defeat We’re all familiar with the run-away costs of litigation and the frequently unfair verdicts that may result. And even if you're the "winner" in a lawsuit, the cost of winning is frequently so high that even the winners feel like losers at the end. Don’t allow your life to be taken over by litigation. It can take many months or even years, at the end of which a judge or jury will decide your fate and perhaps make a loser out of you. There’s a much better way to work things out:
Mediation!
Why Are Lawsuits So Painful? Even if you're the one who files the lawsuit, litigation is an exhausting, painful and expensive process in which someone always loses. And the loser is always surprised! Do you think the losing party goes to court thinking they're going to lose? Of course not! Both sides at a trial always think they're going to win, but what a shock one side gets when the jury comes back with the "wrong" verdict! Imagine going to the most expensive restaurant in town for dinner with people you don't like and trust even less. Then imagine allowing a "jury of your peers" to decide what you'll eat and which one of you is going to pay the bill. You could end up eating sushi when you don't even like raw fish and paying for your enemy's caviar and roast beef! And his lawyer's lobster, too! Ironically, only a tiny percentage of all the lawsuits that are filed ever end up in front of a jury. In most cases, after many thousands of dollars have been spent on court fees and attorneys' fees, most lawsuits are settled "on the courthouse steps." The reason? The parties and their attorneys know that no matter how solidly the facts seem to work in their favor or how squarely the law seems to be on their side, no one can predict what a jury -- or even a judge -- will decide. What Is Mediation? Mediation is a wonderful alternative to litigation that empowers the disputing parties to maintain control over exactly what the outcome of their dispute will be. A neutral third party – the mediator – works with the disputing parties to help them find a resolution that is reasonably satisfying to all concerned. Unlike a judge or a jury, the mediator does not decide the outcome: the parties do! And unlike the verdict at a trial, a mediated settlement can include terms and conditions that no judge or jury would be allowed to include in a verdict.
How can this happen if the parties have been unable to achieve a satisfying outcome by themselves? What if they're practically ready to wring each others’ necks by the time they get to the mediation? A good mediator brings many skills to the table that have been missing from the parties’ prior dealings. First, a top-notch mediator is able to create an atmosphere of conciliation, in which the work of resolving the dispute can be accomplished.
Then, if the mediator is highly experienced in the area of the law that covers the dispute, s/he can evaluate the merits of the matter for the parties. This means giving each one a frank understanding of the merits – or lack of merit – of his/her position and the other side's position. In addition, a good mediator will give each side a solid understanding of the substantial costs they will incur if they decide to go to court instead of resolving the dispute through a mutually agreeable settlement.
What Does Mediation Cost? Compared to a lawsuit, mediation is relatively inexpensive. The cost of mediating a case will vary, however, depending on the number of people involved in the dispute and other factors that impact how complicated the matter is. The best way to get a good idea of the costs involved in mediating your own matter is to contact Susan Keenberg now.
Dispute Resolution Expert Susan Keenberg, Attorney / Mediator Phone: 310-783-0999 Email: Susan@SusanKeenberg.com Click Here for a Map or Directions Get driving directions: Destination address: 1217 Acacia Avenue, Torrance, CA 90501 |
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Finally, a really good mediator knows how to help the parties find creative solutions to their disputes, and to document their agreement in a binding, written contract that can be enforced later. When you leave the mediation, everything can be signed, sealed and finished, once and for all! 
