Joy McNaughton

Joy Crafts McNaughton

Maine Mediator | Personal Injury, Workers' Compensation, Divorce & Family, Consumer and Civil Disputes

Maine | Statewide Legal Experience | In-Person & Virtual Mediation

Professional Overview

Joy Crafts McNaughton is a Maine mediator and former trial attorney with more than 40 years of legal experience involving personal injury, insurance defense, workers' compensation, and civil litigation. A member of the Maine Bar since 1984, she brings extensive courtroom experience and practical knowledge of dispute resolution to her mediation practice.

Her litigation background includes 15 jury trials, more than 100 bench trials, and over 500 testimonial workers' compensation hearings. Having handled contested matters throughout Maine, she understands the legal, financial, and personal considerations that influence settlement decisions.

Ms. McNaughton serves as a rostered mediator for Maine District and Superior Courts and has experience with court-referred and private mediation, including family, consumer, agricultural, and civil disputes. Her combination of litigation experience, mediation training, and familiarity with Maine's court system provides a foundation for helping parties evaluate disagreements and explore negotiated resolutions.

Mediation Practice Areas

Personal Injury & Civil Liability Mediation

Mediation involving personal injury claims, negligence, disputed liability, damages, and other civil matters. Her background in insurance defense, medical malpractice, and trial litigation provides perspective on case evaluation, evidentiary issues, and litigation risk.

Workers' Compensation Mediation

Disputes involving workplace injuries, medical treatment, benefits, contested claims, and related employment issues. Her experience handling more than 500 testimonial workers' compensation hearings informs her understanding of the legal and factual complexities involved.

Divorce, Child Custody & Family Mediation

Family disputes involving divorce, parenting arrangements, child custody, and related matters. Her preparation includes advanced family and divorce mediation training, elder and adult family mediation, and domestic violence mediation training.

Consumer, Small Claims & General Civil Mediation

Consumer disagreements, small claims, and other civil disputes where structured communication and negotiation may help parties reach a mutually acceptable resolution.

Agricultural & Community Mediation

Agricultural and community-related disputes, supported by her involvement with Maine's Agricultural Mediation Program and specialized mediation training.

Mediation Approach

Ms. McNaughton brings a practical, litigation-informed perspective to mediation. She helps parties identify the central issues, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their positions, understand the risks of continued litigation, and consider realistic settlement options.

Her experience representing parties in contested proceedings informs her understanding of liability, damages, evidentiary challenges, and the uncertainty associated with judicial outcomes.

She emphasizes balanced participation, clear communication, structured negotiation, and flexibility in addressing the circumstances of each dispute.

Court Rosters & Mediation Programs

• Maine District Court Rostered Mediator, including Small Claims
• Maine Superior Court Rostered Mediator
• Maine CADRES Family Mediator
• Maine Agricultural Mediation Program

Professional Legal Experience

• Senior Trial Attorney — Hanover Insurance
• Attorney — Berman & Simmons, P.A.
• Attorney — Preti Flaherty
• Law Clerk — Maine Supreme Judicial Court

Her legal practice has included personal injury, insurance defense, medical malpractice, general liability, and workers' compensation matters.

Distinguishing Qualifications

Joy Crafts McNaughton combines more than four decades of legal experience with substantial trial and workers' compensation hearing experience, Maine court mediation roster participation, and specialized training across civil, family, consumer, and agricultural disputes.

Her background provides parties with a mediator who understands the demands of litigation while focusing on practical, informed, and constructive dispute resolution.