Family Mediation

AMCN Group, LLC

Non-Adversarial, Respectful, Confidential

"As a litigant, I should dread a lawsuit beyond almost anything short of sickness and death."

--Judge Learned Hand

Welcome to our website!

It is our intent to provide you with information about the spirit and process of mediation as well as to tell you a little about ourselves.

In building this site we have assumed that our visitors are people who are experiencing difficulties within their family and have not yet been successful in working through the problems to resolution. You are people who are considering the use of a third party facilitator rather than immediately succumbing to the litigation model. All of us at AMcN Group are ardent advocates of the process of Mediation. We know the process is helpful to people in conflict.

We urge you to seriously consider the use of a trained mediator to work with before you commit to thousands of dollars in legal fees for a lawyer to negotiate your concerns. At the end of our site you will find links to other useful and informative sites which include lists of other professional mediators in the valley area.

While the following materials appear to address issues of divorce, the basic process and concept is the same for all manner of conflict. We work with child/parent issues; elder care choices; school and employment concerns; and are all trained to work with general commercial mediation. Also:

Marcia does ADR systems design and training for business.

Terry and Marcia both handle Real Estate issues.

Garland works with business/ financial conflict.

WHAT IS MEDIATION?

Mediation is one of several methods of dispute resolution (ADR) that is an alternative to litigation. We at AMcN Group think of ADR as “Addressing Differences Responsibly”. Mediation is the least invasive and allows for the greatest amount of participant control. Mediation is NOT arbitration...we do not impose our choices upon the parties nor do we make any decisions for them. Nothing we do is binding upon a party unless and until an agreement is signed by both parties.

Mediation is a process in which a trained and impartial third person helps disputants to resolve their issues and reach a mutually acceptable agreement. The mediator helps people to shape, understand and evaluate options. It is future focused; settlements are reached that are perceived to be fair by both persons wherein NO PARTY is a LOSER.

EMPOWERING: The parties are in control of the decisions that affect their family. Information is shared and considered. Joint decisions are made. Participants avoid uncertainty of judicial or other intervention of “strangers”.

CONFLICT IS viewed AS an OPPORTUNITY RATHER THAN an OBSTACLE!

OUR FAMILY MEDIATOR’S CREED:

"I cannot define the settlements and I cannot impose an agreement upon you. My role is to assist you in reaching your agreement. I will not take sides on any of the issues. I am interested in settlement as a principle, and I am interested in you as people. I want to help you through this difficult process and to diminish your pain. Finally, I hope to help you use these negotiations to place the past behind you. The marriage is ending, but you each have a life ahead of you that can be fulfilling and wonderful if you can learn from the past, cherish the best of it, and marvel in the growth of yourSELF."