Are you stuck in a conflict and trying to find a productive way forward?
Why choose mediation?
Mediation is often quicker and less expensive than engaging in the court system. It also provides more certainty, as the participants retain control over the outcome. It is a self-empowering process. Rather than handing one's case over to the judge to decide, participants are empowered to reach their own creative solutions, solutions they all decide they can live with and follow through with. If participants can have the right conversation, they often begin to recognize potential solutions they didn't see before. Mediation is also gentler on the participants, and very helpful in situations where it is important to preserve a working relationship.
Some of the main benefits of mediation:
More efficient: save money, time, and hassle
Anything that can be resolved in mediation often saves money and time from dealing with the court system. Even if a small claims case is won, for example, the winning party must then attempt to collect the debt via other means, which can cost even more time and money. Participants are far more likely to pay willingly following agreements they crafted themselves. If someone doesn't hold up their end of the bargain, mediated agreements can then be taken to court by either party.
Self-empowering
The process of mediation can often help develop one's conflict resolution chops. Participants are often very happy with the process and what they were able to accomplish with each other in mediation. Solving one's own situation, rather than gambling on what a judge might do, keeps control in the hands of the participants. They often feel better about the other party by the end of the mediation, as well.
Supports all participants
Mediation supports all participants in accessing resources to have a well-informed conversation about the issues they are facing, and moving forward in the conversation as equals.
Confidential
Court records are public record. Mediation is confidential under Oregon Law. Anything you share with the mediator remains confidential unless you ask for it to be shared. Mediation sessions are also confidential. However, if an agreement is reached at the end of mediation, it is available for both parties to use in court if needed, and written agreements are not confidential.
Allows for a broader range of solutions, ones that can meet everyone's needs
While courts can often only "make things right" by transferring property or money between parties, mediation supports capacity-building and self-empowerment to explore resolutions from a more creative space. Participants know their conflict best, and as long as they can have the right conversation, they are also the best-equipped to come up with an agreement that will be sustainable and meet everyone's needs.
High-quality, individualized service
Rather than appearing before a stranger in the court system who will decide your case in 30 minutes or less, you will have individualized service from your mediator and work as a team with the other party to resolve your concerns.
Practice Areas
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Can include:
divorce
custody/parenting time negotiations
estate disputes
elder care disputes
conflict coaching and strategies for managing family relationships
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Can include:
payment plans
eviction prevention
negotiations around repairs
negotiations around communication patterns
any situation that might end up in small claims or eviction court if it is not resolved
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Can include:
property lines
HOA disputes
negotiations around noise, etc.
any situation that might end up in small claims if not resolved
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Can include:
community groups
business- to- business disputes
multi-party disputes
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Can include:
multi-party disputes
mediated community political dialogues
bringing together multiple agencies, businesses, or organizations around a joint effort or joint project
negotiation around common goods
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While mediation involves at least two parties, conflict coaching is one-on-one support from the mediator in your conflict situation.
About Amicable Agreements
Cyndi holds a master’s degree in Conflict Resolution and a graduate certificate in Collaborative Governance. She is a current member of the Oregon Mediation Association (OMA) and Association of Professional Family Mediators (APFM), and follows their ethical guidelines.
She has mediated with Oregon’s Clackamas County Resolution Services, Multnomah County Small Claims Court, Washington County Justice Court, Resolutions Northwest, and The Beaverton Center for Mediation and Dialogue.
She was a presenter at the Oregon Mediation Association’s annual conference in 2023.
You can read more about Cyndi’s qualifications and background on LinkedIn.
Request a free 30-minute consultation to find out if mediation can help in your situation.
Your information is confidential.