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Alternative Resolutions in Silver Spring prides itself on "turning conflict into consensus." The company's president is a certified mediator by the International Mediation Institute, only one of six mediators in Maryland to have obtained this recognition. She also has over 30 years of litigation and public policy work experience. The company provides mediation, facilitation, arbitration, and training services.
Brault Graham is a boutique law firm in Rockville "navigating the courtroom with experienced, respected attorneys." The company was established over 60 years ago and today continues the "decades-long tradition of representing clients in trials and appeals across the spectrum of civil litigation matters." Practice areas include commercial litigation, personal injury, legal malpractice defense, estates, and insurance coverage disputes. The firm's attorneys also serve as mediators and arbitrators in personal injury cases.
Brenda Waugh is a Washington attorney with an office that provides litigation, collaborative law, and mediation services. Attorney Waugh has over 25 years of experience and has conducted dozens of seminars on legal issues for groups such as the Association of Conflict Resolution and the Virginia Mediation Network. The firm also offers free seminars for new clients to meet the attorney and ask questions.
Brian S. Harvey is a Washington arbitrator, mediator, advocate, and advisor with over 25 years of experience handling "complex civil litigation and conflict resolution, including numerous bench and jury trials, appeals at all levels, arbitrations, mediations, and agency proceedings." Mr. Harvey is a member of the American Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar Association, and the Maryland State Bar Association.
Eileen Coen, JD, is a Bethesda-based divorce and family mediator who guides couples in and around Washington, D.C., through a cooperative separation or divorce without resorting to the adversarial legal process. Eileen draws on her skills as a professional mediator, attorney, conflict coach, and educator to help parties make well-informed decisions and establish agreements. The mediation process involves utilizing techniques to encourage dialogue and improve empathy between the involved parties.
The Mediation Office of John Spiegel, JD & Donna Duquette, JD is a Rockville divorce and family mediation firm "providing compassionate and cost-effective mediation services." Attorney Spiegel has over 31 years of experience and has worked exclusively as a mediator and mediation trainer since 1996. Attorney Duquette has taught courses on conflict resolution and devotes her practice to mediation for divorce and separation cases.
Oscar M. Garibaldi is a Great Falls arbitrator with over 40 years of experience in the resolution of international disputes. He serves as arbitrator in international commercial or international investment cases. Mr. Garibaldi has been rated or individually listed in Chambers, The Legal 500, Best Lawyers in America, and Super Lawyers. He is a member of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre's Panel of Arbitrators, among other professional and legal organizations. Parties interested in appointing Mr. Garibaldi are encouraged to contact him directly by phone or email
Raymond G. Bender is a Washington independent arbitrator and mediator "serving in domestic and international cases, including those involving complex commercial disputes." He is a member of the American Arbitration Association's Roster of Commercial Arbitrators and the International Center for Dispute Resolution's Panel of International Arbitrators. Mr. Bender has 35 years of experience as a practicing attorney. Arbitration services provide the potential for "substantial cost and time savings" and "afford a confidential process that can protect trade secrets and other proprietary or commercially sensitive business information from public disclosure." Interested clients are encouraged to email or call Mr. Bender directly.
Regina A. DeMeo is a Bethesda custody and divorce lawyer with over 17 years of experience "focusing on stress-free divorces." She is considered a top matrimonial attorney and practices the areas of divorce, custody agreement, domestic partnership agreement, prenuptial agreements, collaborative divorce, and mediation.
Resolve Together is a Germantown "alternative dispute resolution firm committed to bringing people in conflict together to work through their differences and create a lasting resolution together." The company assists clients with mediation, facilitation, and parenting plan agreements. Initial consultations are free of charge.
Robert Baum is a Rockville attorney dedicated to "helping individuals, families, and businesses with the highest quality of personal legal services available. Practice areas include family and business law. Mediation services for divorce are available and usually take between two and three three-hour sessions.
The Law Firm of Wampler & Souder in Silver Spring practices bankruptcy law, personal injury, criminal law, and family law. The company's attorneys strive to deliver "reasonably priced yet effective legal services throughout Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland." Attorney Eugene Souder is a trained mediator in full compliance with the American Bar Association and the Association for Conflict Resolution's Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators.
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Mediation is an alternative to going to trial during legal disputes. The parties on both sides agree to work with an impartial third party who oversees discussions concerning the matter in dispute. The goal and hope of mediation is to come to a settlement or compromise that is agreeable to both parties. The mediator doesn't represent either party but works with both to help ensure that discussions are civil and agreements are as fair as possible given the situation. In many cases, if mediation fails, then the parties can move on to a trial in court.
Arbitration is another alternative to a court trial, but it's a bit more formal than mediation. During the arbitration, evidence and testimony is presented to a panel of people who act as judges of sorts. They issue an opinion about the matter in writing, and depending on how the arbitration was entered into, it may or may not be binding. If it's binding, the parties must accept and abide by the decisions of the arbitrators. Commonly, each side selects a third-party arbitrator, and each of those people selects a third person.
Arbitration and mediation both have pros and cons, and which one is right for you depends on your personal preferences, legal goals, and the details of your case. Mediation can offer more control, and because of that, those who go through it tend to report a higher level of satisfaction. But arbitration is more formal and may provide a more structured environment, which may be needed if civil discussions aren't possible.
If you can choose a mediator or arbitrator, it's critical to look for a neutral third party. Someone who is in any way tied to either side or who might have a known strong opinion on matters related to the case may not be the best option. Legal knowledge is important for mediators and arbitrators, but arbitrators should also have court experience. Retired or former judges or trial lawyers may be good choices for arbitrators, for example.
An arbitration agreement waives your right to seek legal remedies in court under certain circumstances, specifically, if you and the other party have unresolved disputes. You submit to binding arbitration over all matters, which can be somewhat risky as arbitration agreements are usually requested by companies that have arbitration processes set up, and those processes may not be impartial.
Mandatory arbitration occurs when someone is forced to use arbitration as a means of settling an issue. One of the most common scenarios for this is employment. Employers may require that employees sign an arbitration agreement before they can begin work. The employees then give up some rights to go to court over certain employment issues.
During a child custody mediation, the mediator will likely encourage each party to focus on the needs of the child or children. The parties work together to agree on custody. They typically won't discuss matters of child support, marital property, or other factors of the divorce—unless the mediation is for the whole divorce. If you are attending mediation, it is advised to come prepared to discuss what's in the best interest of your children and situation, but also be prepared to reach a compromise.
