Community Mediation
Mediation is an informal and voluntary conflict resolution process, using a neutral third party mediator or mediation team, who will assist you and the other parties involved in resolving your disputed issues. Mediations are conducted at neutral sites, at times mutually convenient to all, are confidential – no information presented or discussed during mediation is available to anyone outside the mediation process. Mediation is a free service and can be utilized as many times as are required.
The volunteer mediators have completed an extensive training and apprenticeship program as required by the New York State Unified Court, thus assuring you of the highest level of professional service. Mediators use their expertise to guide the process, allowing you to fully explain, define and resolve the issues and then write an agreement or legally binding contract that reflects your resolution efforts. If an agreement is reached between the participants at the mediation, and they all desire that agreement to become the court order enforceable by law, the agreement will be handed in to Court for review.
Community mediation covers just about every type of mediation that is not custody/visitation. The DRC has handled landlord/tenant, workplace disputes, merchant/customer, warranty disputes, and government/citizen disputes, just to name a few. Our mediators have a diverse background with several areas of expertise. Furthermore, if your small claims case is pending before a Judge, if you successfully mediate, you can submit that agreement to the Judge for review, thus saving yourselves time and legal fees.
Court is always going to be present, and is always an option in trying to solve a dispute. But, why not try a process which keeps you in control of the resolution? You have nothing to lose, and time and money to save.