Mediation is a time-honored tool for resolving conflicts. It allows you to create a preferred solution—one that works well for you and the other party—and to avoid getting stuck with a cookie-cutter ruling from the court that may not address what’s important to you. Mediation will also save you time and money while keeping strong emotions from spiraling out of control.
What is Mediation?
There are many different types of mediation. Divorce Mediation, Family Mediation, Business Mediation, Workplace Mediation, etc. But there are also many different styles of mediation. Transformative Mediation, Facilitative Mediation, and Directive Mediation. The majority of the cases I see are for Divorce Mediation and the mediation style I most regularly employ is Facilitative Mediation. This means that I work to help both parties identify their underlying needs and interests, helping them create and consider options for resolving their conflict, all while keeping their conversations focused on the present and the future, rather than the past, to ensure progress.
Who is Mediation for?
Mediation is effective for addressing just about any conflict or dispute between two or more parties, whether it involves matters of law, business, or finance, or whether it is interpersonal. On the other hand, mediation is not right for everyone or for every situation. Parties should consider other forms of dispute resolution if any of the following conditions are present:
- There is a history of physical, sexual or psychological abuse AND it is continuing.
- One party is fearful for his/her safety.
- There is alcohol or drug abuse.
- One of the parties lacks the mental capacity to understand the economic and legal implications of his or her agreements.
How Much Does Mediation Cost?
Mediation is typically only a fraction of the cost of litigation with most of this due to how much faster and more flexible the mediation process is compared to the litigation process. The time it takes for you to arrive at an agreement is within your control, so that you are not paying a mediator for endless hours of their time. Moreover, you and the other party are encouraged to share responsibility for the mediator’s fees (also often much less than attorney fees), as well as the fees of impartial, jointly retained experts including attorneys.
In litigation, on the other hand, each party pays his or her own attorney to respond to motions, attend hearings, interview witnesses, take and defend depositions, and converse with opposing counsel – as well as pay for expert witness reports, court reporter fees, and transcripts. And there are the additional financial costs that come along with the inevitable appeals.
After all is said and done, Mediation should cost a small fraction of what it would cost for you to arbitrate or litigate your dispute — even when you retain your own attorneys and use the services of other professionals such as CPAs, mental health professionals and appraisers in the course of your Mediation. Fees vary in accordance with the services provided. Please contact me for a fee schedule.
How Long Will Mediation Take?
There is no prescribed number of mediation sessions for any one conflict. Some mediations can be completed within a couple of hours, while others may take anywhere from two to six sessions over a period of several weeks or a few months. I like to remind my clients that their conflict took time to develop and is not likely to disappear overnight. However, there are things you can do to speed up the resolution. Ask yourself: How motivated are we to settle? Are we willing to listen to and try to understand one another’s points of view in good faith? How well do we communicate? Are we prepared to focus on the issues needing to be resolved? Can we resolve any issues directly between sessions? If you answer positively, chances are good that mediation will move forward more quickly.
What if Mediation Fails?
If your case has been referred to a mediator by a court, it will return to court without penalty. In other cases, parties who are unable to resolve their conflict in mediation will have to use another dispute resolution method, such as arbitration or litigation. One more advantage of mediation: you may be able to come to an agreement on some issues so that you will have at least limited the scope – and costs — of the other chosen dispute resolution process.
Areas we serve?
We’re based in Seattle Washington serving the surrounding areas with Divorce and other kinds of mediation. If you’re interested in learning more about the following: Seattle Divorce Mediation, Seattle Small Business Mediation, Seattle Conflict Coaching or Meeting Facilitation you can learn more here.
About Rina Goodman
Rina M. Goodman
Welcome.
My name is Rina Goodman. I am a mediator, conflict coach, and principal and founder of Transforming Conflict LLC.
I have spent the past fifteen years learning about conflict—what it is, how it is triggered, and how to turn it from something disruptive into something positive.
As a mediator, I help co-parents, business partners, and employees resolve misunderstandings and disagreements to restore trust and productivity across households and within the workplace.
As a conflict coach, I help my clients develop skills to manage future conflicts constructively so that they can be more successful in their co-parenting and business relationships.
I perform these tasks together for more impactful results.
WHAT SETS ME APART?
- When I listen, I really listen. I listen for communication disconnects, misunderstandings and misperceptions, shared or divergent values, misinformation, and other matters that make a meeting of the minds difficult to obtain. I point out patterns of interaction that are constructive and patterns of interaction that undermine the parties’ goals and therefore will benefit from a bit of redirection. These “interventions” often result in “aha” moments that enable clients to move beyond mistrust and anxiety
- I am committed to transparency and self-reflection in my work. Mediators are human, of course, so naturally we have our own biases and triggers. As a practitioner whose work requires constant vigilance against any loss of impartiality, I am constantly mindful of my responses to the conflict to ensure that I am not becoming invested in the outcome or somehow, unknowingly perhaps, influencing it.
- I personalize each process so that it suits the participants and the situation. Before engaging clients in a mediation process or facilitated conversation, I conduct a pre-conference session to review and sign the agreement to mediate, design the process, and to discuss the next steps for moving forward.
- I am tenacious and hopelessly optimistic. I care deeply about helping my clients achieve mutually satisfying solutions—even when the conflict feels intractable.
When you work with me, there’s a higher likelihood that you’ll create long-term solutions that everyone will feel good about.
About Rina Goodman
Seattle Mediator, Rina M. Goodman
Welcome.
My name is Rina Goodman. I am a mediator, conflict coach, and principal and founder of Transforming Conflict LLC.
I have spent the past fifteen years learning about conflict—what it is, how it is triggered, and how to turn it from something disruptive into something positive.
As a mediator, I help co-parents, business partners, and employees resolve misunderstandings and disagreements to restore trust and productivity across households and within the workplace.
As a conflict coach, I help my clients develop skills to manage future conflicts constructively so that they can be more successful in their co-parenting and business relationships.
I perform these tasks together for more impactful results.
WHAT SETS ME APART?
- When I listen, I really listen. I listen for communication disconnects, misunderstandings and misperceptions, shared or divergent values, misinformation, and other matters that make a meeting of the minds difficult to obtain. I point out patterns of interaction that are constructive and patterns of interaction that undermine the parties’ goals and therefore will benefit from a bit of redirection. These “interventions” often result in “aha” moments that enable clients to move beyond mistrust and anxiety
- I am committed to transparency and self-reflection in my work. Mediators are human, of course, so naturally we have our own biases and triggers. As a practitioner whose work requires constant vigilance against any loss of impartiality, I am constantly mindful of my responses to the conflict to ensure that I am not becoming invested in the outcome or somehow, unknowingly perhaps, influencing it.
- I personalize each process so that it suits the participants and the situation. Before engaging clients in a mediation process or facilitated conversation, I conduct a pre-conference session to review and sign the agreement to mediate, design the process, and to discuss the next steps for moving forward.
- I am tenacious and hopelessly optimistic. I care deeply about helping my clients achieve mutually satisfying solutions—even when the conflict feels intractable.
When you work with me, there’s a higher likelihood that you’ll create long-term solutions that everyone will feel good about.
Feedback from Satisfied Clients
“All in all, I would say it was a positive experience because of the genuine concern and empathy you show for your clients, Rina. You went above and beyond to make sure we felt understood and that things we’re being clearly understood when it came to our mutual finances and agreements.
…“You were always great at steering us towards other professionals who could assist us when we had concerns or questions. I really appreciated that, Rina.
“Thanks so much for all you did for us. I was thankful to get to know you as a warm kindhearted person and a very professional and highly capable mediator.”
“I want to extend a big thank you to Rina for working with our team. Communication had broken down and everyone was feeling hurt and undervalued in their work. Rina opened up the lines of communication, providing a safe space for each of us to feel heard and not just listen to, but truly understand, what each other were feeling and perceiving. We developed common goals and expectations around communication and it is now better than we ever imagined it could be. As a result, each of us has improved in our roles and as a team.”
“You were absolutely great! Bless you for all your kindness — the fruit, cookies, water, patience, direction, and gems of wisdom. You are a true peace maker!”
“From the outset, my husband and I knew we wanted a collaborative process in seeking our divorce. There were a few issues that were particularly sticky when it came to finances, in particular. But Rina helped us listen to each other and the open environment led to a lot of ‘out-of-the-box’ ideas that eventually created our solutions. It took time. But it was time very well spent. My ex-husband and I are still not only on speaking terms, but have retained a lot more good will toward the other than we could have imagined at the outset.”
“Above all, Rina is dedicated to balance in the mediation process. Her exquisite sense of service to the parties (and their children) is moving. Her delicate touch at challenging the mediating parties to carefully listen and re-state their opinions and positions was equally helpful.”