The Mediation Center of Hampton Roads provides services of any kind of dispute. Our mediators have extensive experience in employee conflict resolution, marital separation, child custody, child visitation, child support, tenant-landlord issues, and business disputes. Almost any dispute is amenable to mediation; the Mediation Center of Hampton Roads can help you decide if mediation is the right course for your situation.

Mediation may be the right alternative for couples who are separating. Because the mediation process is not adversarial, couples who are wanting to separate can come in jointly to have a separation agreement drafted. More than one mediation session is usually necessary for the parties to come to an agreement. Working together with the help of a mediator to come to a mutually agreeable settlement can result in a satisfying outcome for all involved. Our mediators are experienced in such matters as equitable distribution, property division, spousal support, child support and child custody and visitation. We are also well in tune to the needs of our clients that have involvement with the Military. Parties can divide the cost of mediation as they see fit; equally, pro-rata (based on income) or one-party.

Please call us at (757) 624 - 6666 for a free consultation regarding your individual needs in the separation process. The Mediation Center of Hampton Roads recognizes the difficult nature of separation, and treats all our clients with respect and sensitivity.
 

In mediation, a third-party neutral (mediator) assembles the disputing parties, encourages dialogue, provides guidance, and helps define areas of agreement and disagreement, but does not impose a settlement. The mediator, through discussions with both sides, attempts to facilitate a negotiated solution by having each party recognize its true needs as well as those of the other parties. Mediation seeks a settlement through enabling parties to see their dispute from the perspective of their "interests" rather than their "rights" or "positions."
Unlike traditional adjudication, mediation is not premised on a "winner-take-all" approach, but instead presupposes that parties will realistically assess their positions and cooperate in reaching a solution.

The mediation process brings disputing parties together to resolve their conflicts in a structured yet informal process. A typical mediation session lasts from one to two hours. Mediation has been especially effective in resolving disputes in areas such as labor-management, neighborhood conflicts, parent-teen disputes, separation/divorce and personal injury cases, consumer-merchant conflicts, landlord-tenant relations, and small claims and contractual disputes as well as workplace disputes and medical malpractice concerns.

The focus of mediation is to explore the potential for change in the behaviors and attitudes that have led to conflict, a confusion of roles and expectations, and a breakdown in communication. The goal is for the parties to create a consensually written agreement that each party feels is fair, balanced, realistic, and accurately reflects the issues raised and addressed in the mediation.

Mediation is not litigation. It does not determine who is right or wrong. All points of view are considered valid.

Mediation is not counseling. Mediation recognizes the emotional issues in a conflict, but it focuses on finding a workable solution to the problems, rather than the cause of the problem.

Mediation . . .

• is a voluntary process.
• is not adversarial and not coercive in nature.
• is confidential.
• allows the outcome to be determined by the parties involved in the dispute

Situations appropriate for mediation include cases in which:

• the parties have an ongoing relationship.
• the parties have had a significant (business-or personal) past relationship.
• there are communication problems between the parties.
• the principal barriers to settlement are personal or emotional.
• resolving the dispute is more important than the principles (legal/moral) involved.
• parties want to tailor a solution to meet specific needs/interests.
• multi-faceted settlements are possible (e.g. structured settlements involving more than money judgments, or multi-party cases).
• the law governing the dispute is well established and not challenged.
• subjective questions of fact (e.g. state of mind, intent) or the parties' interpretation of objective facts exist
• the parties have an incentive to settle because of time, cost of litigation, drain on productivity, etc
• there are cultural differences between the parties.