It is a proven fact… Virginia Mediation works. Look at the statistics: 85 percent of the cases brought to Mediation nationwide are resolved. Of that 85 percent, nearly 100 percent are satisfied with the resolution. Try to get these numbers in Court . . .
What is the “Mediation Miracle?”
To illustrate, how about a story? Two young sisters were involved in an argument. They both wanted the last orange in the house. After a long (and rather loud) “discussion,” they took their dispute to the Judge… Mom. Mom was, ironically, wearing a black dress (like a Judge wears!), was terribly busy with many other issues on her mind and didn’t have a lot of time (like the Courts). Mom listened to the hardened positions of the disputants for a few minutes and then handed down her ruling: she took the orange, cut it in half, and gave each sister one half. Both sisters burst into tears! Why? Seems fair right? This result is like most Court rulings, quick and “fair.” But was there another option? See below for the Miracle…
Often the ONLY people profiting from your dispute are the Attorneys! Your dispute is about YOUR life – it is NOT about your Attorney. Take control. You can, and we can help.
Consider this: What if Court was our LAST option rather than your first?
VA Mediation often makes litigation completely unnecessary. It is also usually much less expensive and provides for much more control of the outcome. Why should we give someone in a black dress, who does not know us at all–and likely knows even less about our dispute, and has only a few minutes to listen to us, the power to ORDER us to a particular resolution of OUR case…? The common theme with Court-Ordered resolutions is that they are decided fairly quickly in Court–and NO ONE leaves happy–not even the lawyers.
We have witnessed disputes, that had persisted for years, even between long-term friends or family members, that resisted even the “genius” of Attorneys and the Court-system, resolved in literally only hours. We have seen these individuals enter the mediation room as “disputants,” unable to talk to each other, or even look at each other, and then after Mediation, leave as friends again.
Debilitating disputes resolved. The air cleared.
Or dividing the marital property in a divorce done–without all the ugliness and the spending of the retirement accounts to get there. Lines of communication actually open post-Mediation?
Or the problem resolved AND the relationship restored. How many times have you witnessed this unbelievable phenomenon after a trial in Court?
Or a business dispute resolved to both parties satisfaction, both businesses still in business post-dispute, and expanding their business relationship rather than ending it?
These results cannot be guaranteed for every Mediation case, but as you read above, the odds are probably in your favor…
Divorces or business, personal, or neighborhood disputes should not be hammered to Court, forced to litigation like a broken record… as if there were no other option? Alternative solutions, like Mediation or Arbitration, always make better financial sense–and our Hampton Roads mediation services almost always produce better, less expensive, longer-lasting results. Isn’t this what we all want?
So the Question is, Why NOT Try Mediation?
Mediation is non-binding, until the parties agree differently. Mediation is also confidential. It is entirely voluntary–not even a Court can order you to Mediation–so both parties must agree to begin Mediation. Once the parties start, either party may leave the Mediation at any time without prejudice to their case–this means if for any reason Mediation does not work for you, you may choose to discontinue the process, and this cannot be used against you later in Negotiations or in Court.
You may always have an Agreement written in Mediation reviewed by your legal Counsel before you sign it–your Counsel can even attend the Mediation sessions if you desire. (Most choose NOT to have their lawyer present during Mediation–lawyers are expensive!) So what is there to lose? Literally millions of individuals, business entities, and organizations around the world are finding there is literally nothing to lose by agreeing to Mediation before “lawyering up,” going to battle, and getting broke. Again, what if Court was our LAST option rather than our first?
BACK TO OUR STORY:
What if the Mom had more time to look for the issues behind the sisters’ positions? What if she used a mediation process and found out that one sister wanted the peel of the orange to bake a cake and the other sister wanted the pulp to make orange juice? Then the fruit could be better divided (correctly divided) between them to better meet their respective needs… Then both sisters would have left happy, probably even feeling valued, with a “win-win” solution. This is the Mediation Miracle. So again, why not Mediate?
OUR FIRM BUILDS SOLUTIONS.
Contact us at Holcomb Law to schedule your “No Hassle Strategy Meeting,” (no sales pitch) at which our mediation lawyer will answer ALL your questions and show you your options. 757-659-1233 or info@attorneyholcomb.com. We will take very good care of you.