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| Our mediation services are best described as interest-focused. This simply means that whether we are mediating with the parties and their lawyers, or just the parties, we will make every effort to work with the clients' interests and goals, as opposed to positions or "bottom-lines". |
The process will be flexible, according to the needs of the parties, but we will encourage direct negotiation and minimize caucusing, except where the circumstances require it, or make it more conducive to reaching a resolution of the dispute. We will also encourage a multiple-session process of two and three hour sessions, but will adapt to the parties' needs and circumstances by acting as mediators over full day sessions when necessary. However, except under extreme circumstances, no session will go beyond an eight hour period. It is our belief that neither the parties nor the attorneys benefit when the sessions go longer, and that there is a greater likelihood of both lawyers and clients making errors, or using poor judgment in such longer sessions. We will always seek the advice and counsel of the lawyers in the matter, but will ultimately ask them to trust our judgment as to the process we choose to use.
We will mediate for parties without lawyers present. However, the parties will not enter into any binding agreements, and all "understandings" or preliminary agreements reached will be strictly subject to the advice of the attorneys. The parties will be encouraged to retain attorneys from the beginning of the process in order to receive appropriate, independent legal advice at every step along the way.
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| Larry Hance is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Other attorneys are not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. |
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