Ever have a dispute that you wanted to settle but didn’t think you had the money or resources to hash out in Court? Or maybe you thought that filling out a stack of complicated documents just wasn’t worth the hassle or time? Did you know that there is another way to settle a dispute outside of a courtroom – one that can be resolved quicker and costs less money? In this episode of Open Ninth, Chief Judge Fred Lauten sits down with Lawrence Kolin, a mediator at Upchurch, Watson, White, & Max, to discuss the purpose and advantages of mediations.

With a law degree from the University of Miami Law School and over a decade’s experience in mediation, Kolin became a full-time mediator with the Orange County Bar Association in 2010. Kolin defines a mediator as being a neutral third party who facilitates a meeting between two conflicting parties in efforts to help both sides find a resolution. A mediator, as explained by Kolin, is different from a judge or lawyer in that the mediator does not litigate, take sides, or make a ruling in the case. Kolin states that mediations are voluntary, confidential, and are risk-free – if a resolution is not achieved, the parties can continue litigating their case in Court.

After last year’s impact from Hurricane Irma, the Orange County Bar Association provided mediation services to all Orange County residents completely free of charge. If you’d like help resolving a dispute that you may be having with either a neighbor or landlord, or a consumer complaint, property damage or settlement issue, please visit www.orangecountybar.org for more information.

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