MEDIATION

Mediation is a professional means of Alternative Dispute Resolution i.e. a structured, formal process of arriving at a settlement to a dispute, conducted and controlled by a specialist trained mediator.

Professional mediators can be drawn from many walks of life but we believe lawyer mediators are well equipped to further dispute resolution as only they know first hand all of the pitfalls of the alternative, litigation.

A mediation session begins with a meeting with both parties and with their advisers round a table. He or she introduces him/herself and describes the process of mediation. One of the most important things he/she explains is that they are not judges or arbitrators and is there to guide the parties towards a settlement - not to adjudicate upon the rights and wrongs.

Mediators do not need to be experienced in the area of business from which the dispute arises but there are obvious advantages if he/she is. The healthcare industry is undergoing the most fundamental reform in recent history. However sensitively the authorities manage this change there will inevitably be disagreements. These may end up in the Courts, at considerable public and private expense.

At Robert Campbell & Company, as a law firm specialising in healthcare law, we know only too well the cost of litigation and the uncertainty which is involved. As experienced Judical Review lawyers we can assist those in dispute to understand the cost and pitfalls involved and, with the imagination that only those knowledgeable of the healthcare industry can possess, help construct a settlement satisfactory to all concerned. We are very experienced in negotiation and are often able to resolve matters at and early stage. Contact us for further details of our mediation services or