Mediation Services

Over 29 Years of Experience

Self-represented Litigant Experts

Locally Owned

Over 29 Years of Experience | Self-represented Litigant Experts | Locally Owned

Settle for More, Mediate!!

Why choose a non-lawyer to mediate? Because lawyers and judge mediators tend to do what they are trained to do: Analyze the merits of cases and draw conclusions. If you have been to other pages on this website, then you know that there are three approaches to resolving conflict, that analyzing the merits (the “Rights Approach”) is only one approach, and that it only works when parties agree on the facts and on the law that applies to the facts, that is second in time consumption and expense only to litigation and risks deadlock by “entrenchment”.

Dr. Watkins specializes in mediation of cases where neither party has a lawyer. He is a sociologist and retired professor of Conflict Management, not a lawyer. That, and his 30 years writing legal briefs for attorneys, means he is trained in all three approaches (Interests, Rights, and Power). While mediation may touch on the latter two approaches, Dr. Watkins’ focus is the Interests approach where the goal is to meet the parties’ (or when discussing parenting issues the kids’) needs and goals. Divorce issues lend themselves to the Interests approach more than other cases and it is also more consistent with the way the rest of the world (e.g. non-lawyers) make decisions and resolve conflict. (I do not mean to bash lawyers. The way they make decisions is a very good one– essential in a complex society and for preserving the legitimacy of our system of justice. But for the most part, it should stay in the courtroom.)