Our company, Right Triangle Mediation, specialize in this area of service, and is availabe to consumers in need of a mediator in Los Angels. We save our clients thousands of dollars in debt settlement cases, and this can be done from your home as we extend our services through virtual mediation.

What exactly is mediation?

Mediation is an effective form of alternate dispute resolution, that is structured to assist the parties involved, resolve the matter without having to go to court. The process involves three parties, the defendant, the plaintiff and the third (neutral) party known as the mediator which in this case would be us, Right Triangle Mediation.

What is our role?

The mediator’s role is to facilitate a discussion that will lead to a negotiation between the parties. The aim of this negotiation is to have both parties arrive at an agreement on terms that are acceptable to both.

As the mediator we do not have the legal authority to impose a decision on any of the parties involved in the dispute.

Benefits of mediation to the consumer

There are several factors that allow mediation to be beneficial to the consumer.

• It is a flexible dispute resolution process that allows both parties to work through their differences, while executing control over the decision making process.
• Mediations are aimed at achieving a win-win result for both parties as it is not an adversarial process.
• Mediation is a private process that takes place in the confidentiality of three parties, and does not require that any of the discussions or agreements arrived at be recorded for public files. However, in many cases a settlement is filed with the court, which does become public record.
• Mediation programs saves the consumer a large sum of money they more than likely would have had to pay for litigation. You can opt to use our virtual mediation services for a flat-fee or use our traditional services.
• The parties have the option of researching mediation programs/providers, and the associated cost (or non-cost) before deciding on which service to use.
• The cost of the mediation is usually divided between both parties so that no one bears the full cost. The cost for mediation services is usually much less than $3000 in comparison to the over $30, 000 that litigation may cost the consumer.
• Mediation saves time. There are no long waits and endless reappointments and/or cancellations before the parties are heard and the discussions take place. Mediations can take place within one day or a few hours, in comparison to the possible months or years that litigation may take.

With mediation, there is no need for you to be back and forth between sessions and having to possibly take time off from work to attend numerous court sessions. Our virtual mediation service is an added benefit that results in savings on transportation costs for our clients.

Overall, through mediation we help to save the consumer from embarrassment and financial distress. By choosing mediation you wil also be saved from the possibility of long-term stand-offs and/or hostility between the you and the trader as both parties would have agreed upon the resolution to the dispute.

Many of our clients conduct business across the US or even the globe and like in any business problems arise which sometimes require a facilitator to settle. More times than not we deal with lawsuits in California and still use virtual mediation instead of traditional. If you are located in Hollywood and the opposing counsel is in Orange county, while the insurance adjuster is in San Fernando valley it only makes sense to remain at our own locations and communicate via phone, fax, email or video conference. Imagine how much time, money and frustration you save not having to travel for hour in the world famous Los Angeles traffic.

Virtual mediation is around 50% less expensive than traditional. When you count travel time, office space, gas and all other expenses the $225 per hour mediation turns into almost a $450 per hour process. With virtual mediation you pay on per case bases with some cases costing as little as $395 and having no minimum time.

So having all the benefits of standard mediation while paying less for it and avoiding travel time should be a no brainer. Of course, there are concerns and thousands of questions you probably have in regards to this new way for dispute resolution. So naturally, we advice you to call for a consultation and see if this is right. After all if it is not, then the standard mediation is always available.

The NBA is faced with a lot of issues, but of course the fundamentals are simple, $4 billion. On Tuesday, November 16, 2011 some of the major issues was basically agreed upon and the agreement was very close to being signed. However, a small issue of taxes prevented it from going through. Since then, the players have hired a new attorney, David Boies and filed two lawsuits against the league’s owners demanding to be allowed to immediately return to work. Perhaps this power move will persuade more serious negotiations as neither side wants to spend more money on litigation. In reality – my opinion is that litigating a dispute of this nature will solve nothing. There is a reason for CBAs and the negotiations, because they work. The trick is getting everyone to agree.

When mediating issues of such caliber it is very difficult to have everyone compromise on a single issue. In masses there is chaos. One person can pretty much ruin the entire process and cause the agreeing parties reconsider their positions. Much like the jury deliberations or for that matter my family’s decision making process on which restaurant to order dinner from. When you have 12 people getting together a single event, you instantly get 24 opinions. But I digress.

There is no question in my mind that this is going to be a very lengthy and costly process with one clear loser – the fan. It is only when the owners and the players realize that the biggest sufferers  in all this will be the fans. After all, professional sports are built on making the fans happy. Beer, hot dogs, plush seats, cheerleaders and half time shows are all for the fans. The sport it self is an excuse to bring the fan into the arena and have them spend money. Realizing this will, in my humble opinion, help resolve this dispute much quicker. The happier you make the fans the more money they will spend and the less time you have to spend negotiating over $4 billion. Of course there is also greed, but that is a topic best saved for the next blog. I just hope that by the time I post this, I will be proven wrong and the NBA lockout of 2011 will end.

By Brian O’Connell
Monday, October 31, 2011
Yahoo! Fiance and Investorpedia 

From the first glance all of this issues are very simple and the majority of the lawsuits starts because the tenants, for one reason or another, decide to stop paying their dues. Some face dire financial situations, others simply use this as a tactic to get what they want from their association. Alas they quickly find out that it does not work to their benefit.

Property liens for unpaid homeowner association dues is the first line of defense for the associations. A lien will be placed on your property even before a lawsuit is filed. Oh, and yes, it is legal. Your CC&R’s (Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions) will confirm all of this. At this point the lien will remain on your property until the delinquent amount is satisfied, but for some people this is not a very persuasive argument to negotiate a payment. It is not until they are served with a lawsuit that they start thinking about a repayment plan.

Whenever faced with a case between a homeowner association and a tenant, there is always a way to resolve this issue and prevent a judgment. Remember, once a judgement is entered there is very little desire for the association to negotiate, since all they will have to do at that point is to garnish wages and levy bank accounts. However, prior to the judgment many deals can be struck.

We are so set on filing a lawsuit against our perceived opposition that thinking outside the box never crosses our minds. We are bombarded by advertisements for attorney services and the high dollar settlements, which many times are possible only through mediation. Personal injury cases and breach of contract cases present their own set of challenges and of course the defendants and the plaintiffs want to have someone fight for them! Sounds familiar? However, in the end when the case gets settled by your attorney and you the results are almost the same except for all the legal fees you need to pay.

Don’t get me wrong, there are thousands of instances when you need a lawyer, but many times you can attempt to settle first and then sue. It is in this particular order that our dispute resolution system should work in Los Angeles and everywhere else. Mediate, don’t litigate – unless you absolutely have to.

In many other states, which have a smaller number of suites a more tight niche population, suing someone like your neighbor is still frowned upon. Everything is being done in order to avoid a lawsuit. Whether it be a credit card lawsuit or a neighbor dispute. People still care about each other and try to save face anyway they can. I hope one day we will too.

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/opinion/article/1445058

Case in point, is an argument I recently witnessed. A Hispanic man was arguing with a Caucasian woman in respect to her store not having anyone who spoke Spanish. Normally, a very common thing in Los Angeles. This argument, however, escalated to constitutional rights debate and legal threats ending the proverbial, “I’ll see you in court!” This got me thinking; actually it got me thinking about two things, one is to take Spanish lessons and another was if I was brought in as a mediator, how would I handle this? To tell you the truth, I am still unsure.

I see both perspectives very clearly. After all, I am a bilingual my self, English and Russian. However, this dilemma really stumped me to a point of considering how would this case be handled in court? Of course, I cannot answer any of my own questions due to the fact that I do not know what would be the demand from either side of the disputants, but I do know that whether heard by a judge or brought to mediation, middle ground could be reached.

Mediation in Los Angeles or any other major metropolis will always focus on the diversity of cultures and it is my job as the mediator to appreciate each one of these views and facilitate their understanding of each other. Be it a personal injury, a collection case, or a simple miscommunication.

I always try to see both sides of every argument and find an amicable resolution, but at times when you clearly are dealing with unreasonable people this task becomes more difficult. Just like meditating to reach a center in one’s mind I try to calm the situation to reach the center of an argument. In credit card related mediation, many times this has to do with the defendant who thinks that they are not responsible for the spent money. In these collection lawsuits I always shoot from the hip and simply ask, “Well, what are you responsible for?”

Keeping one’s cool is very important in every situation. It is my job to stay calm and collected even when things around me are falling apart. When that happens I simply pick up the pieces and put them back together. This is why meditation – perhaps not in a literal meaning of that word, is so important in any negotiation.

Keep calm. Keep cool. Be sound and reasonable, but most importantly, don’t give up. It’s not over, till it’s over.

Jest think about how much easier it would be to deal with things when emotions are not part of the equation. Be it a lawsuit, a collection matter or even a small lover’s spat. Whenever you are not emotionally invested in a problem you are able to use your head to find a resolution. As a mediator, it is very clearly evident that this would be the best and one of the most valuable benefits of mediation.

Think about it.