The mission of Woodstock Mediation is to help bring peace, harmony and balance to the world through better communication and through mediation.

Essential to this goal is to first educate people about what mediation is, how it differs from other dispute resolution models, and how it can help benefit people in their business and everyday lives.

 

Why Mediate?

*Mediation is risk-free. It is non-binding unless a settlement agreement is actually reached. Once signed a settlement agreement is enforceable in court.

*Mediation is empowering. Through mediation stakeholders can control their own destinies concerning issues and disputes in which they have vested and continued interests.

*Mediation is a confidential process. The sessions are informal and are not tape-recorded or transcribed. Information disclosed at any time during mediation cannot be revealed in future litigation, should the matter not be resolved.

*Mediation is fair. Mediators are professionally trained, neutral third parties who have no interest in the outcome. Their role is to help the parties resolve the dispute. Unlike arbitration, a mediator does not resolve the dispute or impose a decision on the parties. Instead, the mediator helps the parties to agree on a mutually acceptable resolution, based on their own cost benefit analysis of their interests and options.

*Mediation is efficient. The process saves time and money. A majority of mediation cases are resolved in one session, which usually lasts from one to eight hours.

*Mediation is effective. It avoids lengthy expensive litigation. It can expedite the discovery process, allowing the parties to assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of their case.

*Mediation preserves and enhances relationships. The mediation process, and the communication and active listening involved, helps build trust between the parties and transform their relationships for the future.

*Mediation works. Settlement agreements secured during mediation are more likely to be voluntarily complied with by the parties than arbitration awards or judgments. Statistics also show that a vast majority of cases which are submitted to mediation actually settle and result in written settlement agreements.