Better preparation for your expectations. Often parties/lawyers come to the mediation expecting the other side to realize the strength & merit of their position, only to become frustrated upon receiving offers in numbers that reflect the opposite. Some tips: (1) before mediation, share information with one another; try to understand & prepare your client to understand their position (however distasteful that feels); (2) where the other side bases its position on misinformatio

The power of walking away. Pretty strange that I would talk about, let alone say encouraging words, about walking away...Don't get me wrong, those who mediate with me hear more often than they care that their "butts are superglued to the chair" until we settle. However, even die-hard optimists like myself must recognize that there is a time and place for...walking away. However, this should ONLY occur after giving thorough, open-minded attention and consideration to the input