Douglas F. Kaleita, P.C. is an English and Spanish-speaking mediation firm serving the Atlanta area with over 26 years of experience. The firm offers mediation services in personal injury and workers' compensation cases so as to save money, reduce stress, and obtain a settlement faster. The lawyer has recovered millions of dollars for clients via ADR and negotiated settlements as well as litigation.
Dylal | Jenkins Attorneys - At - Law is an Atlanta mediation practice. The firm uses mediation services to avoid going to trial for disputes and other matters concerning family law, property, land use, prenuptials, contracts, personal injury, estates, and workers' compensation. The office is a registered neutral and has mediated numerous cases privately as well as for the 10th District Alternative Dispute Resolution program.
Ellis Funk, P.C. has been an Atlanta mediation and arbitration practice since 1991. The firm's principals each have over 25 years of legal experience and handle Alternative Dispute Resolution, specifically mediation and arbitration, in a range of arenas including business, commercial, employment, real estate, insurance, family law, construction, contractual disputes, and bankruptcy disputes. The team has worked in front of FINRA panels as well and has been recognized by Super Lawyers.
Georgia Lord proudly offers Collaborative and Conventional Family Law Services to both traditional and non-traditional families. Georgia graduated Top Ten Percent/Honors at Emory University College of Law. Her extensive experience as an attorney includes both a track record of success in difficult, high stakes litigation, and over 6 years’ experience as a staff attorney inside Fulton County’s Family Court.
Hecht Walker, P.C. handles arbitration in the Atlanta area and has over 100 years of combined legal experience. The firm has represented clients in more than 5000 matters covering a wide range of practice areas and with a combined value of over $1 billion. Hecht Walker provides international arbitration for matters where arbitraton is warranted, and the firm has been rated AV Preminent.
Miles Mediation & Arbitration Services, LLC is an Atlanta mediation and arbitration firm. The experienced panel of neutrals are leaders in the ADR field and adept at resolving complex multi-party disputes, and the office features 20 well-equipped conference rooms with amenities such as free Wi-Fi, refreshments, and teleconferencing. Miles received Daily Report's Best Of in 2014, 2015, and 2016 and was listed in The National Law Journal ADR Champions 2016.
Moore Clarke DuVall & Rodgers, P.C. is an Atlanta mediation and arbitration firm. The full-service practice seeks to avoid unwanted costs and risks involved in any dispute and uses Mediated Dispute Resolutions, LLC, whose principals each have over 30 years of legal experience, for all ADR cases. Moore Clarke is rated AV Preeminent, has been listed on Super Lawyers, and has been invited to The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.
Smiley Bishop & Porter LLP arbitrates legal cases in Atlanta and has over 50 years of combined experience. The firm focuses on securities litigation and securities arbitration surrounding defrauded investors, suitability claims, and mismarketed investment products and handles arbitration for clients against brokerage firms in front of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. One of the partners has served as president of the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association and on a committee which advises the Board of FINRA.
The Federal Firm, LLC is an Atlanta mediation and arbitration law firm. The full-service practice considers court to be risky and expensive for most clients as well as cases and always tries to encourage settlement by way of mediation, aribitration, and negotiation. The practice's founder is a former federal judge, received a Bronze Star for service during Vietnam, works with the ACLU on immigration issues, and has been recognized by Super Lawyers for 10 years.
Since 2004, The Hull Firm LLC has been catering to the legal needs of individuals and families in and around Atlanta. It handles matters involving child welfare systems, including juvenile delinquency cases, termination of parental rights, dependency court proceedings, and special education issues. Managing partner Nicole Hull advocates for client's rights throughout the mediation process, including facilitating settlement discussions for various family law disputes like child neglect and domestic violence. She was appointed to serve on the Commission on Dispute Resolution by the Georgia Supreme Court.
The Toler Firm LLC brings over 32 years of experience in construction and commercial law to Atlanta mediation clients. The firm represents construction clients for contract drafting and review as well as litigating and arbitrating claims and offers both mediation and arbitration services for cost-effective dispute resolution. The practice has been recognized by Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers, has been rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell since 1993, and is a Panel Member of the American Arbitration Association.
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.
Divorce mediation enables two parties to work together to come to decisions about their divorce with the guidance of a third-party mediator. The mediator may help to work through child custody, child support, property division, and other divorce matters. You'll need to pay the mediator for their services, which may be a cost you split. Be prepared to make a civil and calm case for your side of issues, but know that mediation is about coming to a compromise that works for both parties.
Mediation is a voluntary process, and both parties must put in the work for it to succeed. If either party stops working toward a compromise, the mediation can fail. And, it can also fail if the parties reach a point that they simply can't agree. In such cases, you might choose another course of action, such as arbitration or a court trial.
