Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Finding a mediator in the State of Texas

There are many websites that mediators can pay to be included on to get their services known.
I've listed a few below.

Prices can vary so check around.

I charge $300 per party for 4 hours.
After the first 4 hours, I charge an hourly fee if everyone wants to continue the mediation process.

A person can be a mediator and not be an attorney in the State of Texas.

There are some excellent non-attorney mediators.
BUT you might want to use a mediator that understands (and knows) Texas family law.
A non-attorney mediator is not always less expensive than an attorney-mediator so look around.

I encourage you to hire someone that belongs to one of the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) professional groups.  They require that mediators take extra classes to be a member of their organization and be listed on their website.

Anyone that takes the 40-hour basic mediation class can call themselves a mediator.
If someone has only taken that beginner class, I would not use them.
You need someone that takes the role of serving as a mediator seriously and takes ongoing education classes to improve their mediation skills.

Ask anyone that you contact what groups they belong to and how many hours of mediation training they have taken since they completed the first 40-hour course.

In order to join the attorney-mediators group, I had to have 2 recommendations.

TAM and TMCA require their members to submit their qualifications on an annual basis in order to maintain their membership in those 2 Texas mediator groups.

I encourage you to use a credentialed mediator in the State of Texas - there are not many family law mediators that are credentialed in Texas!

www.mediate.com

www.mediation.com

Texas Association of Credential Mediators - membership required
www.tam.org

Texas Mediator Credentialing Association - membership required
www.txmca.org

www.avvo.com

Association for Attorney Mediators - membership required
www.attorney-mediators.org

Association for Conflict Resolution - membership required
www.acrnet.org

Association for Conflict Resolution - Houston - membership required
www.acrhouston.org

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