Protected: Mediation and Arbitration

At Underwood Law, our alternative dispute resolution practice includes mediation, arbitration, and collaborative law. Our team focuses on helping parties resolve complex disputes efficiently and strategically outside of traditional litigation.

Mediation

In mediation, a neutral third party facilitates a settlement between the parties. Mediation can occur before and at any time during a suit. Mediated settlement agreements, which, with few exceptions, the parties and the courts must follow.

Arbitration

In arbitration, the arbitrator stands in the place of the judge at the request of the parties. After hearing the evidence and arguments of the parties in a manner designed to be quicker and cheaper than going to court, the arbitrator makes awards in the suit to which the parties are bound.

Collaborative Law

In collaborative law, the parties agree not to go to court on any contested matter, cooperate in gathering information for their case, and work through a specific process with allied professionals to reach an amicable resolution of their suit. Collaborative law also offers savings of time and money for parties.

Construction Law Mediation and Arbitration

Our construction mediation and arbitration practice is built around helping businesses, contractors, developers, insurers, and professionals resolve disputes efficiently and thoughtfully.

Our team of construction dispute resolution attorneys provides a wide range of services, including:

Business and commercial litigation matters
Construction disputes, including design and construction errors, delay claims, and lien and bond issues
Real estate disputes
Design professional malpractice claims
Contract interpretation and termination issues

From contract negotiation and project management to complex litigation, our team has the knowledge and experience to effectively identify issues, assess risk, and guide clients through every stage of the dispute resolution process.

Family Law Mediation and Collaborative Law

Our family law team represents clients in mediations and in collaborative lawsuits as alternative options to litigation for resolving family law disputes. We help family law clients by reviewing available options and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each approach to determine the most appropriate strategy based on their goals and circumstances. While less common, we also handle matters that proceed through arbitration.

We regularly assist clients with the following types of family law matters in mediation:

Divorce settlements
Child custody and visitation schedules
Child support modifications
Spousal maintenance (alimony) agreements and disputes
Enforcement or modification of existing orders

Alternative Dispute Resolution Benefits

Compared to traditional litigation, alternative dispute resolution can help parties:

Reduce the time, expense, and emotional strain of prolonged courtroom proceedings.
Provides parties with greater flexibility by tailoring the process, schedule, and potential solutions to fit their specific circumstances
Resolve disputes in a more private and confidential setting.

Underwood Alternative Dispute Resolution Services

Our firm has more than 40 years of experience in all phases of mediation, arbitration, and collaborative law. We have industry knowledge to effectively evaluate issues, facilitate productive discussions, and help parties work toward fair and informed resolutions.