Although mediation is overall very successful, the reasons it fails versus when it is successful tends to establish patterns of success and failure. Preparing for mediation includes physical preparation as well as mental preparation in order to be able to make decisions from a place of clarity about a situation and with more grounded expectations about what options might be available to the parties.

If you’ve ever signed a cell phone contract, utility or virtually any other agreement for goods or services these days, you have agreed to resolve any dispute with the other party through arbitration. There are several key things about it that make it different from court, and some are both potentially beneficial or detrimental depending on circumstances.

Many people hear that mediation can be a fraction of the cost of going to court and are skeptical, or may not understand how that could be possible. While there are certainly some situations where mediation makes less sense, there are many more reasons that support the use of mediation in a wide range of scenarios.

Sometimes a dispute will settle in a way that is a little surprising. One party may accept an offer relatively early on in negotiation talks, or at a point that comes unexpectedly. This is not always a result of inexperience in negotiation, but of a conscious decision to move on and focus efforts elsewhere.

Just before California’s eviction moratorium was set to expire at the end of June, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed new legislation which extended the moratorium through the end of September. In addition, the bill also made more of the $5.2 billion in rental relief accessible.

Many landlords and tenants alike are facing serious financial strain. While moratoriums have extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many are still watching their rental debt increase with every passing month. While aid has been established to help the situation, there are certainly shortcomings that still exist, and ones that will reveal themselves when moratoriums begin to lift across the country.