Picture this. You are having a disagreement with your neighbor about noise levels, and you mention it to your cousin in a phone call. After listening to the details of the argument, your cousin suggests that you need to go to mediation. Great…but what is mediation?
How does mediation work?
Many people have never heard of mediation, so you are not alone. Essentially, it is a conversation between two or more people who disagree. It is led by a trained, neutral mediator who doesn’t take sides. Instead, they ask questions and make it easier for the people in conflict to communicate the real issues underlying the problem.
The mediator will help to write up any agreements that come from the conversation, but they never decide the outcomes. The parties negotiate for themselves and determine together how they would like to fix the conflict. The parties meet and settle their conflict in a safe, confidential, and efficient manner to really hear the other party’s perspective and to also have their own ideas heard.
Why choose mediation?
Going to mediation is a less expensive and time-saving alternative to taking the issues to court. So, whether you want peace and quiet, family unity, or a financial settlement, mediation can help. Fortunately, many communities have a dispute resolution center (DRC) that provides reasonably priced conflict resolution services, including here in King County. The Dispute Resolution Center of King County is a non-profit organization that provides sliding scale fees, so everyone has access to conflict resolution services in the community. In fact, several of our services are free thanks to generous donors and government contracted funds. People support and use the mediation services we provide because there are many benefits:
- Mediation has a high success rate
- Significant cost savings compared to litigation
- You get to decide the best outcome
- Confidentiality is guaranteed by state law
- Problems are dealt with quickly
- Gain a better understanding of issues on both sides
- Leave with a written agreement that is legally binding
- Meetings take place virtually for ultimate convenience
If you want to learn more about the conflict resolution services we provide — including housing, workplace, community and family, please visit our website. If you want to set an appointment to discuss your conflict and find out if mediation is right for you, complete our intake form and one of our case managers will follow up with you.
We know that mediation works in many different types of conflict. Contact us today to see if mediation is right in your situation.