Mediation Services

Our attorneys are experienced, trusted, and respected mediators who settle the most challenging cases.

Our Managing Shareholder, Shane R. Ford, is one of the most sought-after family law mediators in Northern California. He’s respected by families and their attorneys for his preparation, his fairness, and his ability to find creative solutions to complex problems. Mr. Ford is regularly hired to mediate difficult, complex cases that others have been unable to resolve.

    SHANE FORD BIO

    KELLI FERNANDEZ-MEDINA BIO

    YISHAI BOYARIN BIO

Mediation is a voluntary, collaborative process that serves as an alternative to adversarial litigation. In mediation, a neutral third party — the mediator — helps parties identify options, explore alternatives, and reach an agreement in a collaborative, consensual manner.

Mediation has many benefits over other dispute-resolution strategies:

• The mediation process is voluntary. Neither side can be compelled to participate.
• It is collaborative – parties work together on a shared problem and resolve their conflict through an agreed-upon fairest and most constructive solution. 
• It is confidential – sensitive matters are not subject to public scrutiny or judgment. 
• It is impartial – the mediator has equal responsibility to each mediating party. They remain neutral and unbiased in evaluating alternatives and guiding parties to resolution. 
• It is not adversarial – mediation focuses on the parties’ interests rather than their entrenched legal positions. 
• It is flexible – the mediator can devise creative remedies that are not available through the court system.
• It is satisfying – the parties have a chance to be heard and to participate themselves in creating solutions that fit their particular circumstances rather than being bound by decisions that are dictated to them. 

In mediation, there are no judgments of right or wrong, and there is not a single winner and single loser – there are agreements, compromises, and ultimately a final resolution, guided by the mediator, so the parties can move on with their lives. In mediation, the parties retain full decision-making power and are encouraged to exercise that power in an informed, fair, and constructive way. By promoting future cooperation — not continued conflict — mediation gives people a way to maintain control over their lives and, in a dignified and satisfying way, to clarify issues and resolve conflicts.