Mediation Topics
Choose a topic that matches your situation to find state-specific answers and guidance.
Bankruptcy
Mediation for bankruptcy-related disputes involving creditors, repayment plans, debt settlements, asset issues, and other financial conflicts.
Certification & Licensing
Requirements, training hours, exams, and renewal for becoming a certified mediator in your state.
Collaborative Divorce
Mediation-focused support for couples using the collaborative divorce process to resolve property, parenting, support, and other separation issues without traditional litigation.
Commercial Real Estate Disputes
Mediation for disputes involving commercial leases, property transactions, development projects, landlord-tenant conflicts, financing, ownership interests, and other business real estate matters.
Complex Commercial Mediation & Arbitration
Mediation and arbitration for complex business disputes involving contracts, partnerships, corporate transactions, financial claims, multi-party conflicts, and other high-value commercial matters.
Congregational & Nonprofit Disputes
Mediation for disputes involving congregations, nonprofit boards, leadership conflicts, governance issues, internal disagreements, and organizational decision-making.
Construction & Development
Mediation for disputes involving construction projects, property development, contractors, developers, delays, defects, payment claims, change orders, and project-related agreements.
Construction Disputes
Mediation for construction-related conflicts involving contractors, property owners, project delays, defective work, payment disputes, change orders, and contract disagreements.
Contract Disputes
Mediation for construction-related conflicts involving contractors, property owners, project delays, defective work, payment disputes, change orders, and contract disagreements.
Cross-Cultural & Bilingual
Mediation for disputes involving cultural differences, language barriers, communication challenges, and parties who benefit from bilingual or culturally informed conflict resolution.
Education
Mediation for disputes involving students, parents, teachers, schools, colleges, special education services, disciplinary issues, and other education-related conflicts.
Estate & Inheritance Disputes
Mediation for disputes involving wills, trusts, estate administration, inheritance claims, beneficiary conflicts, executor disagreements, and family disputes over inherited assets.
Financial Workouts & Commercial Finance
Mediation for disputes involving business debt, loan restructuring, creditor negotiations, commercial financing, repayment terms, and other financial workout arrangements.
Foreclosure
Mediation for disputes involving mortgage defaults, foreclosure proceedings, loan modification, repayment options, lender negotiations, and alternatives to property loss.
Healthcare & Medical Dispute
Mediation for disputes involving patients, healthcare providers, medical practices, treatment concerns, billing issues, professional relationships, and other healthcare-related conflicts.
Hybrid Arbitration
A combined dispute resolution process that begins with mediation and, if issues remain unresolved, moves to arbitration for a final decision.
Institutional and Organizational Disputes
Insurance Claims & Settlement Negotiation
International Arbitration
Arbitration for cross-border disputes involving international contracts, commercial transactions, investments, joint ventures, multinational parties, and enforcement of arbitration agreements or awards.
Music Licensing & Royalty Disputes
Non-Binding Arbitration
Florida litigants may encounter non-binding arbitration as an alternative dispute resolution process designed to provide an early neutral evaluation of how a civil dispute might be resolved at trial. In a non-binding arbitration, the parties present their positions and supporting evidence to an arbitrator, who issues a written decision. A related approach sometimes used by agreement of the parties is a hybrid mediation-arbitration, in which the parties first attempt to resolve the dispute through mediation and, if settlement is not reached, transition to non-binding arbitration. Because mediation communications are generally confidential while information considered in arbitration must be available to all parties, hybrids require careful attention to confidentiality, disclosure, and the parties' agreement to the process. Since September 2020, I have led a group of arbitrators who meet twice monthly to discuss issues involving mediation and arbitration, with particular attention to non-binding arbitration (NBA). One recurring topic has been the use of hybrid proceedings and how they differ from traditional mediation or stand-alone non-binding arbitration.
No Surprises Act & Billing Disputes
Personal Injury and Settlement
Pharmacy & Payer-Provider Disputes
Post-Judgment, Modification & Enforcement
Pre-Suit & Practical Considerations
Rights Acquisition & Licensing
Trial de Novo & Cost Consequences
Guidance on disputes involving trial de novo after arbitration, including rejection of arbitration awards, court proceedings, litigation costs, attorney’s fees, and potential cost consequences.
Unbundled / Limited Scope Legal Services
Virtual Family Mediation & Preparation
Workers’ Compensation
Confidentiality & Privilege
What is protected in mediation, exceptions to confidentiality, and how privilege works.
Costs, Fees & Free Options
Mediator hourly rates, who pays, court-ordered fee caps, and free community mediation programs.
Divorce & Separation
Mediation for dissolution of marriage, property division, spousal support, and separation agreements.
Child Custody & Parenting Plans
Timesharing schedules, parenting plan creation, modification, and the best-interests-of-the-child standard.
Court-Ordered & Mandatory
When courts require mediation, how to comply, and what happens if you refuse.
Settlement Agreements & Enforcement
How mediated agreements become binding, court ratification, and what happens when a party doesn't comply.
Workplace & Employment Disputes
Discrimination claims, wrongful termination, EEOC mediation, and workplace conflict resolution.
Landlord-Tenant Disputes
Security deposits, evictions, habitability complaints, and lease disagreements resolved through mediation.
Real Estate & Property Disputes
Contract disputes, boundary issues, HOA conflicts, and title disagreements handled in mediation.
Business & Commercial Disputes
Partnership disagreements, contract breaches, vendor disputes, and commercial litigation mediation.
Ethics, Complaints & Discipline
Mediator standards of conduct, how to file a complaint, and the disciplinary process.
How Mediation Works
The mediation process from start to finish — what to expect, the mediator's role, and how sessions are structured.
Finding & Choosing a Mediator
How to find a qualified mediator, what credentials to look for, and questions to ask before hiring.
Small Claims & Minor Disputes
Low-cost mediation for consumer complaints, minor accidents, and disputes under the small claims threshold.