Professional & Certified Mediation

What is Mediation?

Mediation is a facilitated process by a specially trained mediator to help the parties in any dispute come to an agreement. Statistics show that parties who resolve their matters through mediation (as opposed to trials) have a much higher rate of compliance with the agreements by both parties, are substantially less likely to return to litigation in the future, and are much more satisfied with the terms of the agreement.

The reason for this is simple: customization and flexibility.

Mediators work with parties (and their lawyers), in a neutral capacity, to remove the emotional considerations of their positions and reflect on the merits and drawbacks of their claims. Once parties recognize the realistic likely outcome at trial, the mediator then helps parties through a “give and take” to customize the terms of their agreements.

Mediation provides a flexibility to negotiate for terms that you may not get from a judge; judges tend to take a “one-size fits all” approach in their decisions at trial. This ability to customize provides the emotional investment and voluntary future compliance with the agreement and a much higher long-term satisfaction with the outcome and the legal process in general.

Mediation is a highly respected, studied, and reliable process; however, it’s not always comfortable and it’s not therapy. Mediation requires a willingness to listen and consider various aspects of your case that you’ve not considered before. This includes a willingness to remove the emotional considerations and look through the legal, financial, practical lenses toward a reasonable resolution.

What is a Lion Mediator, and are Lion Mediators right for you?

Lion Mediators are certified to mediate in all areas in Circuit and District Courts of Arkansas, and are certified mediators for the Access and Visitation Program through the Administrative Office of the Courts.

We are fabulous mediators with a high success rate. We are no-nonsense and no-frills mediators. If you desire to lean into the mediation process and resolve your case in the negotiating room (instead of the courtroom), then we are the right mediators for
you.

We mediate in all areas of law – business disputes, personal injury, employment matters, custody, visitation, divorce. Our life, family, business, legal, and mediation experience is invaluable when providing the practical guidance folks need to resolve disputes and move on with life. Lion Mediators only mediate cases that are in litigation and both parties are represented by counsel. Lion Mediators are also lawyers, and the line between legal advice and mediator opinions becomes blurred if parties do not already have legal counsel.

If you do not have legal counsel, Lion Legal Lawyers are a great option – we use our mediation tactics to reasonably resolve our clients’ disputes too. Most of our clients’ matters do not require mediation because we employ those mediation skills throughout our representation to achieve the best reasonable realistic outcomes that can possibly be achieved.

Availability & Pricing

Lion Mediation is available state-wide, in person at our offices and through video conferencing. Mediators are most often court-ordered–but do not have to be if the parties and attorneys agree. Lawyers work together to agree on a mediator or the court will choose if parties cannot agree on one. Before having a Lion Legal mediator appointed, please check with us to confirm calendar availability and potential conflicts. If Lion Legal has ever represented one of the parties to the case, then we cannot typically serve as a mediator.

Inexplicably to us at Lion Legal, Mediation is often very expensive. We offer the competitive private pay rate of a total of $250/hour, including an anticipated one hour of preparation. The fee is split by the parties however agreed or ordered by the court.

We also accept AOC appointments, which are appointments through the Administrative Office of the Courts, which administers the income-based grant funds available in custody and visitation disputes.