Welcome to Weidenaar Mediation

Legal disputes are charged with deep emotion, and both parties have strong feelings. The parties in a legal dispute have invested many hours of thought, time, and energy, and they want their voices to be heard. It is important that all voices involved in a dispute be expressed and explored to facilitate resolution. This communication process provides insight into what is most important to the parties, which may not have been expressed during previous negotiations. Mediation is an alternative to the lengthy and costly litigation process.

With a third-party mediator, your clients can reach an agreement with the other party in a civil and calm manner. Your mediator should be somebody who is a fully qualified attorney who is very knowledgeable regarding the laws concerning your client’s case. The ability and experience of your mediator will assist you to reach an agreement that follows laws and regulations.

Bram Weidenaar has 30 years of legal experience in both defense and representing injured people. He also has specific training in quantitative and facilitative mediation. Bram, as a neutral mediator, will spend as much time and effort as necessary to achieve a positive outcome. Bram will identify the strengths and weaknesses of each parties’ positions that the parties may not have recognized before and will ultimately help both clients determine what is best for them so that they can control their own destinies and reach a mutually agreeable settlement.

At mediation, Bram, a neutral qualified mediator, will meet with both sides and listen to the concerns and desires of each side, and then will bring everybody together. Bram will work with both parties to create a space of communication which will help encourage both clients to reach their own conclusions. The mediation process will also lead the parties to comprehend the reality of their case even if it is adverse.

Although the mediator will not render a decision on the case, the agreement that is reached during the mediation process is held to the legal standards that are normally found in a courtroom. No matter what your clients decide, it can be legally enforced in most civil cases, as some judges will recommend mediation over a hearing in order to save everybody money and time.

The mediation process is straightforward. In most cases, Bram, as your mediator, will be with both parties in a conference room to discuss the preliminary matters and the parties’ case. After the initial conferences, the parties will go to separate conference rooms. The mediator will then go between the two conference rooms meeting with either party to
discuss the strengths and weakness of each case and exchange settlement proposals. If an agreement is reached, the parties will reconvene, and the agreement will be discussed and formalized.

Consider the following benefits of mediation:

o  Mediation can prevent the risk of an “all or nothing” decision from a judge or jury
o Mediation saves both parties time and money
o The parties achieve a result that is certain, and that will lend itself to a contract
o The parties may communicate directly between themselves
o The remedies in mediation may be much broader than those of traditional legal remedies
o Mediation is private and confidential.
o Mediation affords the parties the opportunity to the seriously consider their views, strategies and strengths