MEDIATION

Cassandra Pullos as Mediator

• Cassandra Pullos first trained as a mediator in 1992 when mediation was only a new and developing form of dispute resolution. She has worked in that field since that time and updated her training and skills regularly since then, including completing the 5 day intensive Mediation and Conflict Resolution Programe with the Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies in 2008.
• Cassandra is available for appointment as a mediator in any type of dispute that is suitable for mediation including conflicts between family members (whether during relationship breakdown, over the terms of a will or other issues that arise in families), employer/employee, business partnerships, contractual relationships where parties deal with each other on different jobs consistently, landlord/tenant, debtor/creditor, parent/child/school, local council/developer/residents, neighbourhood disputes and many others.
• As a mediator Cassandra brings her wealth of legal experience in many areas of law to the task of option generation and conducts the mediation in a way underpinned by the firms core values of integrity trust and equality.
• If you have a dispute you would like to try and resolve using mediation telephone Cassandra for a more detailed discussion about the process and getting started.

What is Mediation?

Mediation is a process by which an independant third party assists two or more people to reach a mutually agreed upon negotiated solution to their conflict. The mediator uses a variety of skills and techniques to to help the parties but does not make any decisions for them.

These are some characteristcs of mediation:-

• Mediation is an extension of the negotiation process.
• The mediator assists the parties identify the real issues then generate options for resolution.
• Mediation is future focused and solutions based.
• Mediation requires each party to accept personal responsibility for finding solutions and generating options.
• It is a confidential, informal and flexible process that takes place in a private setting as opposed to a public courtroom and can be tailored to individual requirements.
• The assistance of outside experts (such as lawyers, counsellors, accountants) can be used in the process.
• The aim is to assist parties reach an agreement they are willing and able to carry out themselves.
• Mediation seeks to build the relationship between the parties as the problem is solved and improve communication to reduce future conflicts.

The benefits can include:

• Speedy, rapid results
• Informal
• Convenient
• Private, confidential
• Generally, less expensive
• Can be a healing process
• Encourages comprehensive, customised agreements
• Focuses on creative problem solving
• Greater control to the disputing parties over the outcome
• Preservation of relationship or termination of one in a better way
• When is mediation effective?

Generally speaking, mediation could be considered in those situation where a long term relationship is involved. Examples include conflicts between family members (whether during relationship breakdown, over the terms of a will or other issues that arise in families). employer/employee, business partnerships, contractual relationships where parties deal with each other on different jobs consistently, landlord/tenant, debtor/creditor, parent/child/school, local council/developer/residents, neighbourhood disputes and many others.

To successfully mediate, parties must be able to:

• Have some desire to work through the problem
• Be able to communicate on some level
• Be competent and in control of their actions and behaviour, not violent or under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Be able to follow some degree of structure (both in the mediation process and any resulting agreement)