Mediation
Peace is not only better than war, but infinitely more arduous.
IT IS EASY TO FOLLOW THE MOVIES TO SAY “I’LL SEE YOU IN COURT”
You can run out of patience and money. Worse, the Judge somehow might not believe you! There is an easier way out, and it is called mediation. We can help you arrange a private meeting with the other side with mediators who are neutral people who will try and help you find a way out of your problem. We have ample mediation experience, with both helping our own clients and also being accredited mediators ourselves.
If you can decide to settle in mediation, saving time and money, why not? Let’s talk about it.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is mediation?
Mediation is a process where a neutral third party, a mediator, helps parties in disagreement
reach a settlement, whether a suit has started or not. It is strictly confidential and cost-
effective. Typically, it will take half a day or full day and can extend to after office hours, if
your case is more complex.
Can your law firm represent me during the mediation?
Yes. Our lawyers can attend mediation with you to protect your interests and also guide you
toward a fair resolution.
How useful is mediation?
Mediation is a highly effective dispute resolution tool and can help you save time and costs.
It also encourages compromise as both parties have come to an agreement on their own
instead of confronting each other in Court. Unlike a court case where there is a winner and a
loser, in a mediation, both parties, if successful, emerge as winners.
What happens during mediation?
During mediation, the mediator will hear from both sides to get an idea of the story and what
both parties are seeking. The mediator will then try to guide parties towards finding common
grounds and facilitate a negotiation between both parties.
What happens after mediation?
If an agreement is reached, it will be put in writing. If you cannot settle at mediation, you will
have to explore other avenues of dispute resolution or proceed to court trial.
We assist parties in exploring all possible options to resolve their issues peacefully, while ensuring that our clients’ interests are well protected.
Mediation is a process whereby parties and their lawyers attend before a neutral mediator to try to resolve the matter amicably.The focus of mediation is not to determine which party is “right” or “wrong”. Rather, it is to explore parties’ positions and interests, as well as to assist parties in generating options for resolving the matter peacefully. The mediator acts more like a referee to facilitate discussions, rather than an umpire who awards points to parties.
In the civil courts there are various types of mediation at different stages of proceedings. Our duty as lawyers during mediation is to advise our clients on their rights, liabilities and options. This enables clients to make an informed decision, which in turn facilitates the best resolution in the circumstances.
Be it mediation, litigation or any other process, at Clifford Law we are committed to safeguarding our clients’ interests.
Our Viviene Sandhu is a Senior Mediator under the Law Society Mediation Scheme and has conducted several successful mediations in the State Courts of Singapore as well as the Singapore Mediation Centre.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
