Blog

Empathy in Mediation Is a Skill You Can Develop

Ask a room of lawyers which of them is empathetic and watch what happens. A few hands go up slowly. Most people look at the table. Underneath that is an assumption that empathy came issued at birth, and if you didn't get any, you facilitate paperwork and hope nobody...

Mediators Need Muscle Memory

Years ago, a client of mine was a Navy SEAL Commander. He was kind enough to permit me to bring a group of Boy Scouts I led to the Navy SEAL Training Center in Coronado. The kids were mesmerized. He showed us where the SEALs train, and where they suffer. We went to...

Don’t Panic: How to Stay Calm During Divorce Mediation by Trusting the Process

Fans of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy know that the guide offers one essential piece of advice in large, friendly letters: Don’t Panic. This is especially important when you’re wondering how to stay calm during divorce mediation. It is good advice for travelers...
Here Come the Holidays!

This is a great post with excellent tips about how to handle the holidays after the divorce. I recommend it. The holidays can be really stressful for folks after a divorce, especially when trying to juggle the kids between families over the holidays. As a family law...

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Negotiating Over Waffles

Every now and then I will get involved in a negotiation where one of the parties struggles with the concept of negotiating and sharing.  Such a person wants all of what he or she wants and is simply unwilling to compromise or share in any way.  Obviously that makes my...

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