Client-Centered Mediation

Take Charge!

Mediation puts you in charge. Studies show that people who are active in resolving their dispute do better emotionally, legally, and financially than those who try to delegate the work and responsibility to attorneys and judges. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get independent legal advice from an attorney. It means being an active participant in resolving your dispute, becoming informed about your rights, and making your own decisions.

The Mediator

The mediator’s job is to help you and the other party resolve the problem that you face in a way that addresses both parties’ interests. To this end, a skilled mediator succeeds by facilitating an open and constructive exchange. The mediator guides the exchange towards a settlement by asking questions, identifying issues, explor-
ing underlying interests, balancing power, and helping break through impasse.

Our mediators are neutral. This means we represent neither party. It also means we remain detached from any specific settlement outcome — not detached as indifferent, but detached as without agenda. In this detachment resides much of our power — the power to see issues clearly and to recognize when parties have common interests or share common values.

Client-Centered Mediation

We provide client-centered mediation. That is, we believe that you — our clients — are the best people to decide what type of agreement you want to make, and even whether you want to agree at all. Client-centered mediation isn’t the only type of mediation. Other mediators often take an evaluative approach, acting more like judges or arbitrators to create a settlement that they believe is best for the parties. The trouble with this evaluative approach is that the mediator’s idea of what’s fair or appropriate may not be the same as your idea of what’s right for you.

The choice between a client-centered practitioner and an evaluative practitioner isn’t unique to mediation. Doctors, attorneys, financial planners, and other professionals may also be either client-centered or evaluative. Some people, for example, prefer a doctor who’ll decide what’s best, while others prefer to be an active participant in considering their treatment options.

We hope you’ll consider mediation to help resolve your dispute. In the meantime, take a few moments to explore the ways in which our mediators might intervene in response to the various causes of conflict.