Atkins and Markoff is an Oklahoma City mediation team backed by over 100 years of combined legal practice. The full-service office provides counsel and other assistance when a court mandates mediation in divorce and family law matters as well as when couples decide upon mediation as the best route. The firm is a member of the ABA, listed by Super Lawyers, and has been seen in media such as CNN and The Daily Oklahoman.
Crooks Stanford is an Edmond mediation and arbitration practice. Lawyers at the office are known leaders in mediation and arbitration for arenas such as the retail securities industry, the construction industry, and the medical industry. The firm enjoys a high rate of business via referrals and maintains a small practice to enable personalized and thorough attention for each case. Crooks Stanford has been recognized as AV Preeminent and listed by Super Lawyers.
David M. Croninger handles mediation in Oklahoma City. The office mediates for clients facing small claims as well as family and divorce issues and also deals extensively with sex and substance addiction counseling. The founder is a Certified Mediator, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, and Internal Family Systems Practitioner and has served as pastor in the United Methodist Church for 36 years as well.
Dispute Resolution Consultants has been a mediation and arbitration firm in Edmond since 1992. The firm employs a team of mediators, arbitrators, private judges, and special masters who have been trained via programs at the likes of Harvard and Pepperdine, and its offices feature wireless internet, easy access, free parking, presentation equipment, and other amenities for ADR proceedings. The office has been recognized by Super Lawyers and Chambers USA.
Fellers Snider Blankenship Bailey & Tippens, P.C. has been an arbitration practice serving Oklahoma City for 50 years. The full-service legal team promotes alternative dispute resolution for fast and cost-effective solutions, and clients have been represented in pre-hearing conferences, conflict issues, and pre-arbitration procedural disputes in a range of industries in front of the ABA, JAMS, and other procedural bodies. Fellers Snider has also tried numerous arbitration cases and has been listed in Best Lawyers and Chambers USA.
Hickman Law Group handles mediations in the Norman area. The full-service legal firm has a reputation for quality work and cost-effective representation, and the firm's senior partner graduated from the Mediation Institute. Attorney Hickman offers mediator services in a range of practice areas, served as a Captain and government contracting officer in the US Air Force, and is a former President of the Bricktown Rotary Club of Oklahoma City.
Keiter Mediation is an Oklahoma City mediation firm. Keiter Mediation provides professional mediation services for disputes surrounding family issues, divorce, post-divorce, custody, and workplace matters. The firm also provides court-approved mediation training. The founder is a former Associate Director of National Training with the Mediation Institute, is a member of the Academy of Professional Family Mediators and serves as a neutral for the Special Education Resolution Center. Keiter Mediation also offers a 40-hour MCLE approved Family and Divorce Mediation course along with a 24-hour MCLE approved Civil Mediation course
Magill & Magill, P.L.L.C. has been an Oklahoma City mediation practice for over 15 years. Clients engage the firm for mediation services pertaining to family law and divorce, estate planning, small business, debtor/creditor rights, employment law, property, and general liability disputes. Litigation services are also available, and the principal attorney teaches pre-law courses at his alma mater, Oklahoma City University's School of Law.
Mazaheri Law Firm brings almost 20 years of combined experience in mediation to Oklahoma City clients. The office is known for reasonable rates, one-on-one service, and a multi-lingual team and encourages all clients to consider using mediation and ADR to resolve disputes. Areas of practice cover family law, business and real estate, employment law, personal injury, and immigration, and the firm has been listed by Super Lawyers as well as the Nation’s Top One Percent.
Miller & Johnson is a mediation and arbitration firm serving the Oklahoma City area with almost 60 years of combined experience. The group employs top litigators for a range of sectors but also often utilizes mediation, arbitration, and settlement negotiation methods to resolve disputes ahead of trial. The team can host mediations at its office, has settled multi-million dollar class action lawsuits, and includes a certified mediator who has been recognized as AV Preeminent and a Super Lawyer.
Mulinix Edwards Rosell & Goerke PLLC mediates and arbitrates for clients in Oklahoma City. The firm uses ADR services in the arenas of commercial law, banking, estate planning, transactions, and corporate and general civil litigation as well as concerning cases in front of state agencies and commissions. The group has represented local, national, and international clients, has been listed by Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers, and is rated AV Preeminent.
Rainey Law, LLP mediates and arbitrates for clients in Oklahoma City. The team actively litigates if needed but encourages the use of alternative dispute resolution via mediation and arbitration in order to avoid the costs and time associated with pretrial discovery and trial. Practice areas include estate planning, business and tax law, financial transactions, and real estate, and the principal attorney served as Assistant General Counsel to United States Small Business Administration in Oklahoma City.
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.
