Mediation and Arbitration
Both Bring Advantages To You.
At Moen Sheehan Meyer, Ltd., attorneys G. Jeffrey George and Kara Burgos, combined, bring thirty plus years of experience in civil trial litigation representing both plaintiffs and defendants to assist litigants in resolving their cases through the process of mediation or alternate dispute resolution.
Both Attorneys George and Burgos have extensive experience acting as mediators and arbitrators. Both act as neutrals in areas of general litigation, personal injury litigation, and commercial litigation involving business, real estate, probate, and other contested matters. Attorney George also acts as a mediator in areas of divorce, child custody, and family law disputes.
Brief Overview of the Mediation Process
What you can expect when you try to resolve conflict outside the courtroom.
In mediation, the attorneys work with parties to help them achieve a voluntary resolution to their dispute. After a joint session to introduce the process, the mediator meets with each party privately. In these private sessions, the mediator discusses strengths and weaknesses of each party’s case and explores potential outcomes. Anything discussed with the mediator privately is not relayed to the other side without permission.
The mediation process is not binding. If a settlement cannot be reached, the parties can continue their negotiations or prepare for a trial. Nothing disclosed in the mediation process is admissible as evidence in the trial proceeding.
Arbitration
Arbitration is a binding proceeding comparable to a stream-lined judge trial. Parties present their case to the arbitrator or panel of arbitrators in the form of written documents such as expert reports, medical records, witness statements, and live testimony. The relaxation of the rules of evidence makes the arbitration process more efficient and cost-effective than a trial. After the parties present their evidence and arguments, the arbitrator renders a decision which is binding on the issues presented.
