In December 2010, my water bill was extremely high; I posted a blog about my dispute with the Coachella Valley Water District ("CVWD"). In the end, I paid the bill as I did not want to receive a black mark on my credit history. (The CVWD has no mechanism like [Read More]
Recently, I conducted a mediation in a matter which probably should never have been filed as a lawsuit; the economics simply were not there. Realistically, plaintiff could not have a Better Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA); every scenario would have been more costly no matter what the amount of [Read More]
I just finished reading a book by J. Anderson Little, Making Money Talk (How to Mediate Insured Claims and Other Monetary Disputes) (ABA Publishing 2007). The book has a lot of practical advice both for mediators and for disputing parties. In simple terms, Mr. Little explains that most disputes which [Read More]
Recently, my colleague, Maria Simpson, Ph.D., in her Two Minute Training blog discussed the mechanics of the conflict resolution process. That is, going through the steps in the process in the right order or somewhat the right order so that a resolution can indeed be reached. By using the guidelines [Read More]
The art of negotiation can present ethical dilemmas. As explained in the April 2008 (Vol. 11, No. 4) issue of Negotiation published by the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, at times, negotiators will make decisions that clash with their own ethics. Such clashes can arise in a myriad [Read More]
In November 2006, I wrote a blog entitled “Preparing For Mediation.” Its essence was that in order for a mediation to be successful (i.e. resolve the dispute), each party must prepare for the mediation. Otherwise, the mediation will end in frustration and disappointment. I visit this topic again because it [Read More]
