Resolving Disputes Through Mediation and Arbitration
The trial of any disputed matter can be expensive, time consuming and stressful. In many cases, mediation or arbitration offer a better alternative. The attorneys of Herr & Low, P.C., are experienced in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) techniques, including mediation and arbitration.
What Is Mediation?
A mediation is a private proceeding where a trained mediator helps the parties to a dispute come to an agreed-upon resolution on their own terms. Many times a qualified mediator can help the parties find a resolution that is a win for both, in contrast to the "winner take all" outcomes of most trials.
The ability to fashion imaginative solutions that benefit all parties is the hallmark of a successful mediator. Rather than a solution imposed by a court or a jury, with one winner and one loser, mediation allows the parties to control their own fates.
Mediation allows you to devise a solution that meets the needs of both parties, and to set up a framework for working together in the future. It allows me to ask, 'Have you thought about this possibility? Would this approach work for you?'" — Attorney Richard Low
Herr & Low partner Richard C. Low has been mediating disputes since 1996. He is qualified to serve as a mediator by the Lancaster Bar Association and has received advanced mediation training from the American Bar Association in Chicago, Illinois, and Atlanta, Georgia. He was a founding member of the Lancaster Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee and was its chair from 2004 to 2007. He is also a member of the American Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and the Pennsylvania Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee.
What Is Arbitration?
In an arbitration, the parties to a dispute present their sides of a case to an arbitrator, who decides the case in place of a judge or jury. Arbitrations can be binding, meaning the decisions cannot be litigated further, or they can be non-binding, meaning any of the parties can decide to take the matter to trial.
In the local court system, civil disputes valued at $50,000 or less are decided by a panel of three attorneys who serve as arbitrators. Attorney Low is among the lawyers appointed by the Board of Judges of the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas to chair these arbitration panels. He also is hired by attorneys directly to arbitrate a case.
If you are seeking a respected and experienced mediator or arbitrator, please contact Herr & Low, P.C., in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
