Description
The Pierce County Center for Dispute Resolution offers high quality, low cost mediation as a means to resolve disputes without the need for legal proceedings.
Mediation is a process where parties meet with two impartial, neutral people who assist them in beginning a constructive dialogue to solve their problems.
Why mediate? It's much faster and less expensive. In this economy of budget cuts, courtrooms are overloaded with cases that judges simply do not have time to consider. Problem solving through mediation saves time and money in attorney's fees.
It's confidential. While court hearings of cases happen in public, whatever happens in mediation remains strictly confidential. No one but the parties to the dispute and the mediator know what has gone on in the mediation room. In fact, confidentiality is mandated by law. A court cannot force a mediator to testify in court as to the content of a mediation. The only exceptions to confidentiality are threats of violence, plans to conceal criminal activity and previously unreported abuse brought up in mediation.
It's flexible. In a lawsuit, you will obtain a resolution, but it will be decided by a judge or jury. The result will likely leave no one totally satisfied. In mediation, the parties have control over the resolution, and the resolution can be unique to the dispute. Often, solutions developed by the parties are ones that a judge or jury could not provide. Mediation is more likely to produce a result that is mutually agreeable, and the mediated agreement can be enforceable in a court of law.
It’s Empowering. Litigation is hostile, adversarial, and aggressive. It focuses on assigning blame and punishment. Mediation doesn’t do this—the mediators do not tell parties what to do or decide who is right or wrong. Instead, they begin a constructive dialogue between the parties. This gives parties the opportunity to work together and solve their own problems. In about 80 percent of cases, parties are able to get to a successful resolution of their dispute.
Our mediators come from all walks of life, but all have taken at least 40 hours of mediation training and completed a mediation practicum to give them the skills necessary to solve disputes. Our center is fully accredited by the Washington Mediation Association.
As a non-profit organization, we can offer a 4-hour mediation session for only $180 per party. We also provide fee reductions to clients who have a financial need.
We handle most all cases, including:
Landlord-Tenant
Mobile Home
Neighborhood
Dissolution
Parenting Plan
Family
School/Youth
Parent/Teen
Consumer/Merchant
Collections
Commercial
Employment/Labor
Government
Property Claims
Other cases: Call for more information.
For more information, or to see if mediation is right for you, please call us today at (253) 572-3657. If you decide to try mediation, we will contact the other party for you to set up a mutually agreeable date and time.