What You Can Expect at a Mediation Hearing

A lot of Americans have little or no courtroom experience. Many people are only familiar with its portrayal in the movies. Court systems tend to be extremely complicated and quite intimidating for the average person. The formality, the strictness, the rigid procedures, and the complex rules are enough to make people want to avoid court altogether.

Luckily, there are alternative dispute resolution techniques that can help many people in legal situations avoid the courtroom. Of course, sometimes trial is necessary – and our attorneys are always ready for trial. But quite often, the simpler and more effective avenue is arbitration or mediation. Our mediators, Kevin Snider and Gail Horner, in West Tennessee, offer their services for a wide variety of legal matters.

Our alternative dispute resolution team in West Tennessee is capable of assisting you with matters such as:

• Insurance disputes
• Homeowner disputes
• Divorce
• Business disputes
• Contract disputes
• Consumer protection matters
• Family matters such as child custody and child support payments

Mediation

Mediation is unlike going to court in that a third-party does not make any decisions for the parties. Instead, a mediator helps the parties reach their own decision or conclusion. If the parties are able to reach a decision, the mediator can help them finalize or solidify that agreement legally. Mediation is especially common in family law cases.

Arbitration

Arbitration is like a simpler, faster, and less intense version of trial. Both parties must agree on and choose a neutral third-party to decide their case. This third-party, the arbitrator, is generally a legal professional with experience in the area of law at issue.

The rules regarding evidence – what can and cannot be presented – are much looser in arbitration. Both sides get a fair chance to make their case and present their argument. After listening to each side’s arguments, the arbitrator makes a decision. This decision could be binding, meaning it cannot be changed, or non-binding, which allows the parties to take their case to court if they choose.