By Irving Hymson, Esq. 

We Americans have the best legal system in the history of the planet. However, it is not perfect. Costs and fees mount up and are hard to bear in the smaller cases. One alternative to resorting to the courts, is mediation, a way for people to resolve conflict relatively peaceably and reach a mutually agreeable solution without resorting to the greater cost (emotionally and economically) of litigation.Several of our attorneys have completed a 40-hour course of study and learning to qualify as mediators. Our attorneys who could be selected as mediators have experience in virtually all fields: business and contracts, real estate, family, personal injury, wills, trusts and estates, employment, construction and financial problems, to name a few. We think that our combination of knowledge in the field, born of many years of experience together with mediation training and process, is special.

Mediation is a private and confidential process where people with a problem meet with one or two independent mediators. Each party explains their concerns and, with the guidance of the mediator(s), they work on finding solutions that they agree will resolve the problem. No one is forced to decide any particular way, or to decide at all. The parties actively participate in the process to produce their own solution, as compared to the result being determined for them by a third party who may not have a complete understanding of the parties’ interests. Those situations, e.g., in court or at an arbitration, are decided according to precedent -a reliable, but very different thing.

Twenty-seven (27) states in our country have either a State office of Dispute Resolution or a Statewide Dispute Resolution Resource Center. They were created to promote the use of ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) in every aspect of life as a citizen of that particular state.

Hymson Goldstein & Pantiliat has five (5) experienced attorneys who have been trained in the process of mediation and who are available to assist you in avoiding the costly, time-consuming and emotionally-charged litigation proceedings through the alternative procedure of mediation.

For more information on this highly-effective alternative to the court system, please call today!

Oh, by the way . . . if your family, friends, or business acquaintances have a legal need, like a will or a trust, an uncollected claim, a contract which should be reviewed, a home or property to be bought or sold, a business, to be bought, sold, or formed, have been injured in an accident, need assistance with family law or community property matters, or are in need of financial planning, we hope that you will think of us. When you think of these people, please call us with their names and numbers. We’ll be happy to follow up and tend to their needs. We have an active practice, but we will always accept referrals from people like you.