BEGINNING AN ENGAGEMENT
Three steps from inquiry to a reserved date.
Inquiries are welcome from counsel on either side. The firm mediates matters in which all parties are represented by counsel; engagement as mediator follows the agreement of all parties.
I
Send the case
The operative instrument and the key documents in the matter, held in strict confidence from the first contact.
II
Case-fit review & conflicts
A confidential review confirms the matter is a fit, conflicts are clear, and the fee, quoted once, all-inclusive.
III
Agreement & deposit
The mediation engagement agreement sets the full terms; a deposit reserves the date on the calendar.
BEFORE YOU CALL
Questions counsel ask
Straight answers to the practical questions, so the first call can be about the case.
Do you mediate matters outside Alabama?
Yes. In private, party-selected mediation, the parties may jointly retain a neutral without regard to state lines. The firm travels nationally for probate, fiduciary, and complex civil matters by agreement of all parties, with each party represented by its own counsel, who prepare and review any agreement reached.
Will you travel for a single mediation?
Yes. The session is held wherever the matter sits; the firm travels to the parties, and travel is included in the all-inclusive fee. There is no separate charge and no minimum engagement.
How is the fee divided?
Equally among the parties, unless counsel agree otherwise. A deposit reserves the date, and the full terms appear in the mediation engagement agreement before anyone commits.
What should we send before the session?
The operative instrument and the key documents in the matter, not the whole file. Pre-mediation conference calls with each side fill in the rest. All submissions are held in strict confidence.
What happens if we don't settle by 5 o'clock?
The work continues. Reasonable follow-up after the session is part of the standard day, and many matters that end the day at impasse sign within the following weeks.
Ready to begin?
EASTERN SHORE MEDIATION
P.O. BOX 1473 · FAIRHOPE, ALABAMA 36533 · (205) 531-1116 · JIM@EASTERNSHOREMEDIATION.COM