With the continued backlog of cases mediation is even more so now than ever the best choice to find a resolution for your dispute. Get your dispute resolved now while you can’t go anywhere you can really concentrate on what’s important and what deserves your time and energy.
Northwest Mediation continues to use Zoom, Skype and FaceTime as well as the phone and emails to resolve disputes should we add we also do live in person mediation too! So please do not feel that you cannot contact us if you would like to mediate but wish to do so remotely.
There’s a lot about reports today, that one about who said what to whom and when, whether it’s reckless to disbelieve your own eyes on the basis of what advisors may or may not have said to you, is just one of them. There’s also the report into the Opt-out proposals for mediation.
The useful summary is that in respect of the small claims mediation service (which is stupidly free) is that:-
1. Users were overall positive about their mediation experience
2. Users liked that it was conducted over the telephone; they were positive about the mediator
3. Users chose mediation for a swift resolution, to have their voice be heard, and to try and resolve their dispute prior to court
4. Negative experiences were generally linked to misconceptions about mediation
5. Increasing awareness of the SCMS would help more users use this route to a fair settlement
6. Increasing understanding of mediation would help users engage in mediation more effectively
I’m all for increased awareness of mediation but not making it a free service, we’re professionals not crusaders, there are lots of free services about (many using just qualified mediators) but as the song goes “it costs this much ‘cos it takes me [ahem] hours” of training and keeping all the badges and time needed to keep on top of the skills used in mediation.
We’re still way cheaper than legal fees, I’ll do you a deal if you ask, I’ll let you pay by instalments, I’ll even at a push take a credit card payment but if you want professional assistance it will cost a bit of cash. A half hour free phone call is not going to get to the heart of your issue or the other side’s. Sorry but ranty today, in anticipation of the inquiry into that other report being a damp squib and you know who not being held to account yet again.
Meanwhile there are reports that (and I always sound so old when I say) rapper and entrepreneur Curtis James Jackson III, better known as 50 Cent (not pictured) may be heading to mediation for one of his several law suits.
The claim is brought by Corey Holland Senior (aka “Ghost”) against Starz network and Fiddy amongst others for essentially stealing his idea when they made the series Power, specifically season 7 and seasons 1 nad 2 of Power Book 2:Ghost.
Now if it was the Mandalorian or MCU I’d be able to wax lyrical about the series but I’m afraid Power has escaped me so I’ll rely on Google to tell me that Power is about a nightclub owner and his double life (not as a superhero) but as Kingpin (wait, I said not MCU) sorry as a kingpin in a drug dealing network.
Apparently Ghost feels that the lead character called…Ghost, is based on him/his ideas and originally sued for (get ready Dr Evil) £1 billion. He also alleges Fiddy turned up at his home in an attempt to scare him into withdrawing the claim.
The case has been ordered to mediation and if you click the link you’ll see the other cases that Mr Cent is engaged in at the moment.
You may also have read reports that ChatGPT (the AI system which may one day bring about the Terminator style destruction of the human race) stopped working for a while this week, I’m not saying the first thing the AI learnt was to go on strike but it did seem that way.
Anyway the system was asked to resolve by mediation the war being prosecuted by Russia against Ukraine.
I’m uncomfortable with suggesting that an AI might hold the secret to resolving the conflict not least as the obvious way is for Putin to withdraw and stop oppressing the neighbouring country. The 8 point plan which Chat came up with included a ceasefire (hardly a shock) and decentralising government from Kyiv, which seems an unlikely step. Knowing how to do something isn’t the same as understanding how to make something happen, I revert to my earlier comment about why we charge for our services.
Incidentally the following was generated via ChatGPT on the request to “write a blog about mediation to drive more traffic to my website”:-
"Mediation: The Key to Resolving Conflicts and Building Better Relationships
Conflict is a part of life, and it can cause stress and damage relationships. However, there is a way to resolve conflicts in a peaceful, respectful manner: mediation. Mediation can help people in conflict to communicate and come up with a mutually acceptable solution. If you are struggling with a conflict, mediation could be the solution you need to move forward.
At Northwest Mediation, we believe that mediation is an effective way to resolve conflicts and build better relationships. Our team of experienced mediators has helped countless people find common ground and reach mutually beneficial agreements. Here are a few reasons why mediation is a valuable option:
Mediation is cost-effective. Mediation is often less expensive than going to court or using other forms of conflict resolution. It can also be quicker, which can save time and money for all parties involved.
Mediation is confidential. Mediation is a private process, which means that all discussions that take place during mediation are confidential. This can encourage parties to speak openly and honestly without fear of repercussions.
Mediation promotes cooperation. Because mediation is a collaborative process, it can help promote cooperation and improve relationships between parties. This can be especially important in situations where ongoing communication is necessary, such as co-parenting after a divorce.
Mediation can result in creative solutions. Because mediation is a flexible process, it can allow parties to come up with unique and creative solutions that may not have been possible through other forms of conflict resolution.
At Northwest Mediation, we are committed to helping our clients find common ground and reach mutually beneficial agreements. Contact us today"
I guess that covers it but I’d still like to add to ChatGPT’s missive that the three pillars of mediation remain it’s voluntary (except apparently when it won’t be anymore), it’s confidential, the mediator is independent, by using those pillars to support your work the parties keep control, save costs, save time and energy and reduce stress. Finally this one is mediation, mediator jointly appointed, areas of discussion agreed and intention to be bound by the outcome.
In person or via electronic media as we’ve said before choose to mediate early and resolve your issues effectively, timeously, and with less stress and costs than going to your solicitor so you can get out choose a different path, not quite the road less travelled but perhaps the path less adversarial. You have an interest in the outcome the sooner you get round the mediation table the quicker you can move forward and avoid the grilling a cross examination in court would put you through.
By having a deep and meaningful discussions with parties the mediator elicits what the true “red-lines” are and where there is the potential for compromise, it is with this structured period of reflection that the parties are then able to reach an accord.
The flexible nature of mediation and the possible outcomes make it an ideal way to resolve disputes in an ever-changing world and the open nature of discussions in mediation whilst remaining confidential allows all sides to engage fully in the process and understand the needs of all involved allowing parties to reach a conclusion which both sides can live with and move on.
There are so many situations which could have been resolved by early intervention of mediation it continues to surprise me the lengths the public will go to avoid referral.
Whether you need a mediator to help out with a construction matter in the Northwest, or council’s plans in Cheshire, a civil mediator in London, a commercial mediator in Manchester, a dispute resolution for your family in Liverpool, a neighbourhood mediation in Stockport, then our mediators at Northwest Mediation can help.
Mediation is cheaper, quicker and less stressful than running any case to court, it can help with any dispute whether it's an employment issue or the sale at an under value of a property, a fight with a neighbour, family issues, commercial disputes, civil mediation or inheritance, wills and probate arguments contact me at Northwest Mediation on 0161 667 4418 or via email at ed.johnson@northwestmediation.co.uk (I'm not a bot).
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