“Justice is what occurs when two parties go to a third party and ask this party to decide for them. Fairness is what happens whenever two parties are able to resolve their differences on their own, by compromise or by a device like the candy bar rule.” -Lee Harris
WHAT IS MEDIATION WHY MEDIATION WHAT THE MEDIATOR DOES
WHO IS DOUG HILL AND WHY SHOULD YOU USE HIM FOR YOUR NEXT MEDIATION.
I have over thirty years experience as an attorney in all types of family law cases. I have represented both husband and wives, mothers and fathers, grandparents and step-parents, as well as having served as a Guardian ad Litem representing the best interests of minor children in contested custody cases. I have frequently had to argue different sides of the same issue on behalf of different clients at different times and well understand that many issues can have more than one outcome depending upon the specific facts of the case and, most importantly, the attitude of the parties.
If I have a guiding principle in mediation it is this: If there is a resolution that will make both parties happy, the parties (or their lawyers) will have discovered what that solution is prior to trial. That means that at least one of the parties is going to be unhappy with the outcome of a trial, and more likely, both parties will be unhappy with the result. Therefore, as an attorney I start every trial from the premise that there is no way the Court can make both parties happy, so I do not expect the judge to try to make either party happy. As a mediator, I can try to make both parties happy, but realistically my goal is to achieve a settlement that all of the parties can live with and accept as a satisfactory compromise by both sides.
In short, I am comfortable mediating any type of family law case and I am willing to be flexible to accommodate attorneys and their clients. I have a conference room available to mediate at my office or I am happy to mediate at the courthouse or another attorney’s office. Please contact me to schedule your next mediation at your convenience.