metro

The Case For Mediation

Public service campaign promotes a better way to settle disputes.

Allan Nahajewski
Contributing Writer

T

wo sisters want the same
orange. Only by taking the time
to talk do they learn that one
wants the juice, while the other wants
the rind.
That's mediation. It's an alternative
to costly, bitter lawsuits. Nina Dodge
Abrams wants people to know that
mediation works.
An attorney based in Royal Oak,
Abrams is a driving force behind
Michigan Mediates, a campaign to
educate the public about the benefits
of the mediation process.
"Mediation means decision-making
assisted — but not decided — by a
neutral third party:' Abrams says. "The
campaign is important to the public,
educators, businesses, attorneys and
judges because it works: People lis-
ten, pay less, resolve disputes faster,
maintain relationships and keep confi-
dences:'

Abrams has her own law prac-
tice and spends about 90 percent of
her time practicing and promoting
mediation. She traces the origins of
the Michigan Mediates campaign to
a Roots of Social Conflict course she
took at Wayne State University with
her friend Peggy Goodwin.
"We were trying to figure out what
was going on in the world," Abrams
says. "We talked about the need for
mediation and how the general public
doesn't understand it, so we took the
idea of a public interest campaign on
mediation to the State Bar:'
The Alternate Dispute Resolution
(ADR) Section of the State Bar of
Michigan launched the campaign in
June 2011, letting people know that:
• Mediation settles 60 to 80 percent
of disputes.
• There is a high compliance rate for
mediated agreements.
• Even when a full settlement is not
reached, usually the issues are nar-
rowed and some aspects resolved.

• 85 percent of mediation partici-
pants say they would recommend it to
their friends and family.
However, most people are unaware of
the benefits of mediation, which can be
used in both litigated and non-litigated
matters.

The Mediation Process
Mediator Laurel Fink of Bingham
Farms says, "It is an informal process,
tailored to the unique needs of each
family. Mediation can resolve issues
including division of property, child
custody and parenting time, child sup-
port, alimony and allocation of debt,
as well as other family law issues such
as grandparent visitation, moving away
and pet custody:'
Dave Baumhart chaired the ADR
Section of the State Bar of Michigan
when the campaign was launched.
"Nina has taken the lead in this initia-
tive," he says. "Her drive and sense of
mission are palpable and contagious.
She has developed a significant core of

Nina Dodge Abrams

followers and supporters spreading the
word throughout the state of the value
of mediation and its ability to help
people resolve differences:'
David Gruber, executive direc-
tor of Dispute Resolution Education
Resources, a nonprofit organization
hired to manage the Michigan Mediates
Mediation on page 24

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