When getting together to discuss a dispute becomes difficult, there are alternatives available. Remote mediation is the answer. It can be done through either the telephone or an online mediation session via a browser based video conference.
We are going through some pretty unfamiliar waters at the moment. This pandemic has truly brought out both the best and worst of our societies. It is a time of extremes of many kinds, but we are all trying our best to carry on doing what we do.
It is inevitable, however, that we will still end up in disputes with our relationships with our suppliers or our customers, or between businesses over contractual issues, broken promises and all the usual day-to-day stuff that will end up on a pathway to litigation and court action. All the sorts of things that might happen even without the current health situation.
With the pressure already on the court services and the added pressure of the isolation and home-working regimes, bringing about a legal action is going to be slower for some time.
But there is a better way. It is possible, and the courts see it as preferable step in litigation, to use mediation to solve almost any dispute. Mediation can provide a safe and confidential platform to freely discuss through a neutral person (the mediator) the issues and solutions that may be possible to end a dispute. Parties can work toward a solution that they are both happy with and very often, good working relationships can be salvaged from the wreckage of disagreement.
Everything said in mediation is ‘without prejudice’, that means it cannot be used in future court actions if the mediation didn’t succeed. Over 80% of mediations are successful and often a judge will order the parties in a dispute to attempt to mediate before they will hear a case.
Mediation is much quicker and far less expensive than litigation and given its success rate, it should always be attempted.
In the current circumstances, we can conduct mediation over a video conference link via a normal web browser or even over the telephone. You still have all the benefits of confidentiality and still have the ‘without prejudice’ protection for the process.
We are pleased to be able to offer video and telephone mediation as well as the more traditional form of meeting-based process.
For more information about our mediation and alternative dispute resolution services please visit our main mediation services page.