Fort Collins Colorado Lawyer Bill Kneeland

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Associates in Conflict Management

Mediating conflict resolution for organizations, families and individuals

Mediation is a highly effective dispute resolution process conducted with the help of a trained mediation team. As a well-structured problem-solving and negotiation process, mediation focuses on respectful and fair resolutions.

Benefits of Mediation

  • Productive, cost-effective and time-efficient
  • Solution oriented
  • Supports people in focusing on resolving the issues and problems instead of on blaming
  • Allows parties to control decisions that affect their lives and organizations
  • Focuses on the future, not the past
  • Teaches people negotiation, conflict management, and communication skills that can be used in subsequent conflicts
  • Reduces win/lose outcomes in which one party walks away feeling defeated and vindictive

Where can mediation be used?

Business issues involving:

  • contracts
  • employee/employer disputes
  • interpersonal disputes
  • structural changes including company or departmental mergers, policy development or policy changes, regulation implementation or enforcement, organizational change, etc.
  • partnerships
  • customer or client disputes
  • Real Estate transactions and disputes

Divorce

  • property or debt division
  • parental responsibility
  • parenting time and visitation

Family

  • wills and estates
  • parent/teen issues
  • adult children and older parent issues

Who can benefit from mediation services?

  • Individuals
  • Companies – large and small
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Realtors
  • CPAs
  • Contractors
  • Attorneys
  • Medical professionals
  • Others

What can I expect?

Most often, two to four sessions, depending upon the extent of the issues. Sessions are conducted in a respectful, professional setting. Parties arrive at a mutually agreed upon agenda and issues are dealt with systematically. Relevant information is gathered from both sides to help create clear and tangible objectives. The ultimate goal of a mediation is a final, written agreement, or Memorandum of Understanding.

What about attorneys?

You are welcome and encouraged to use an attorney to review any agreements. Mediation is non-binding and parties voluntarily enter into the process in good faith.

The state of Colorado Office of Dispute Resolution reports that 80 percent of mediated cases are successfully resolved. If mediation does not work for you, none of your legal rights have been compromised. You are always free to leave mediation and pursue litigation in the courts.

The Mediators

Nadine Thomsen, Psy.D.
Nadine is a psychologist who has been in private practice for fifteen years helping people manage and resolve a wide variety of conflicts. She has been certified in the conflict negotiation program at the Center for Dispute Resolution in Boulder, Colorado.

Bill Kneeland MBA, JD
Bill is an attorney who specializes in the following areas of law: business, employment, divorce, wills, estates, real estate, and alternative dispute resolution including mediation and arbitration. He has practiced law in Colorado since 1986.

For more information, please contact Bill Kneeland by email, or phone 970-493-6556.