Why Use Mediation?
- Free - Mediation is a free service of the Mayor’s Office of the City of Beaverton. Our service is available to all residents of Washington County east of 185th Avenue.
- Voluntary - Participation in mediation is completely voluntary. You may terminate a mediation session at any time and for any reason.
- Confidential - Mediation sessions are private. No one needs to know that you are having a conflict. With very few exceptions, everything said in mediation is confidential and cannot legally be revealed outside the mediation. Exceptions to confidentiality are explained before the mediation begins.
- Fair -In mediation, you tailor your own solution to the dispute. If you do not think a settlement proposal is fair, you don’t have to agree with it.
- Relationship-Oriented - Mediation is a collaborative process that emphasizes joint problem solving and solutions that benefit all parties.
- Fast - Mediations are usually scheduled within two weeks of the time of a request. Mediation sessions last for approximately two hours and most cases are resolved in one to two sessions.
- Less Stressful - The mediators will establish guidelines for communication to provide a safe place to talk. Mediations are informal and emphasize conversation, understanding, and collaborative problem solving.
- Educational - The mediation process teaches you alternative ways to handle disputes in the future.
- Successful -More than eight out of 10 cases reach agreement.
|