Our Services

Mediation for Many Kinds of Disputes

Far River mediators are certified and trained to handle many kinds of disputes, everything from a contentious, multi-factor divorce already filed and in progress, to an IP ownership dispute amongst start-up members who’ve just closed a round of finance, to fence lines between neighbors. Any time there’s two or more parties to a tangible dispute, there’s an opportunity for mediation.

While Far River does have lawyers who are mediators, we do not offer legal representation; it would be impossible for a mediator to work with both parties if they were in formal representation. None of the information or advice herein is in any way legal advice; mediation is an alternative to litigation, though it’s an alternative that the courts increasingly order disputing parties to use. Special pages for particular types of mediation are available via the buttons below.

What we offer

Orientation - 1 hour - $150

No idea where to start? Not sure what the courts can and can’t do for you, or how long it’ll take, or cost? Sit down with a court-experienced mediator for an hour and learn what we cost, what lawyers cost, and how your case is likely to resolve. Like everything we do, this is fully confidential, and we will provide you with a roadmap and our advice.

Half-Day Mediation - $500

For cases that our mediators believe are likely to be resolved quickly, we offer a package deal for a half day of mediation, either in person or over Zoom, to help all the parties to a dispute find a solution. Fully confidential, with a settlement agreement or report written up at the end.

Full Day Mediation - $1000

Same deal, but for a full day of mediation. This is commonly a good package for a landlord-tenant dispute in a place with a lot of local regulations, like Berkeley or LA, or for a divorce that doesn’t involve children.

Regular Hourly Mediation - $350/hour

For disputes with a lot of moving parts, a lot of parties, or particularly complicated issues, or for cases that have been ordered to mediation, we generally suggest retaining Far River via the normal hourly rate. You only pay for the work we do on your case, and we pride ourselves on efficiency.

We also offer pro bono mediation, meaning that, for certain cases, we can help you and the other parties in your dispute for free. This is no-cost mediation, and it satisfies the vast majority of most court-ordered mediation requirements. If you can’t afford the rates above, consider applying for free help from Far River, using the case information portal linked below.

The Results

“Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can.”

— Abraham Lincoln

Settlement Agreements, Court Reports, and Confidentiality - What You Get

The actual process of mediation differs depending on the dispute, and the package selected, but there are a few things that are always true about mediation. It is always confidential, meaning that the mediator won’t reveal anything discussed in mediation, and moreover, will keep confidences between the parties if so requested. Lawyers, of course, are strictly forbidden from dealing with both parties in this fashion, which is a big advantage of mediation. The process is always voluntary, meaning that the parties agree to come to mediation and the mediator can’t force anyone to participate. Some cases come to mediation because of a court order, of course, but the mediator won’t try to force anyone to participate if they don’t want to. In this way we can work towards solid, realistic agreements.

The other good thing to know is that agreements don’t need to cover everything. We try, of course, to resolve as much as we can, but one of the huge benefits of mediation is that sometimes we can quickly take an argument about 10 things and turn it into an argument about one or two. This is very difficult and expensive to do in litigation, but if you get it done in mediation, you’ll have saved a ton of time and a ton of money.

Mediation also works much more often than most people would think. Across districts, mediation resolves disputes over 75% of the time, and anyone who’s spent time in court can tell you that’s a lot better than fighting it out with lawyers. At the end of mediation you’ll have, hopefully, a full agreement that’s realistic, detailed, and lets the parties to the dispute move on. At the end of a court case, which can and often does take years in California, you’ll most likely have a limited judgment in which one party loses entirely and which many of the minor issues aren’t addressed at all. We think you’ll agree that, even without the other advantages, mediation is a better deal.