Spokane, Washington Mediation Firm
"It is not what a lawyer tells me I may do, but what humanity,
reason, and justice tell me I ought to do."
- Edmund Burke, 1775 speech to Parliament on reconciliation with the colonies
Prior to my career as an attorney, I spent more than 10 years working as a therapist and mental health worker. My work as a counselor taught me the importance of trying to resolve disputes, legal or otherwise, through communication.
One of my primary goals as an attorney is to help people resolve legal disputes in a calm and rational matter that avoids the adversarial nature of the traditional litigation process. To achieve this goal, I offer mediation services to people throughout Eastern Washington in these and other areas:
- Family law: divorce, custody, property division, parenting plans
- Probate
- Guardianships
- Employment law
As a mediator, I have successfully helped many people resolve their legal disputes without the cost and stress of litigation. To provide the highest standard of mediation services, I have taken more than 100 hours in specific mediation training.
The Role of a Mediator
As a mediator, I am not acting as an attorney for either party. I am a neutral party who acts to facilitate communication and the resolution of disputes. I handle mediations for people who are represented by a lawyer and for people who are pro se (people who do not have an attorney). Frequently, I handle divorce mediations for people, with or without an attorney, who realize that mediation is a cost-effective alternative to divorce litigation.
Client Experience of Mediation
Mediation can assist in taking the "fighting" out of dispute. Through mediation the client experiences a new way of framing the issues in dispute. With the help of the mediator the clients craft a solution that is tailored to their unique situation. Control of the final solution is left in the hands of the parties as opposed to handed over to a judge who is guided and bound by the law. The law by definition is designed to be a broad brush approach which strives to encompass the most common denominators of all possible situations. Most judges have case loads in the hundreds and have insufficient time to get to know the parties and be creative in the crafting of a final plan. This coupling of the law and high caseloads for judges leaves little room for creative, personalized solutions to the unique situation of each family. Mediation leaves the resolution of the situation in the hands of the people who are most intimately familiar with the situation; the parties.
What happens at the end of mediation?
After reaching an agreeable solution for your unique situation a formal agreement is signed by the parties which is considered a binding contract. At the conclusion of mediation the parties have several options for formalizing their agreement with the courts. As an attorney mediator I can complete the necessary legal documents for you to file with the courts. In the alternative parties can take their mediation agreement to another attorney who can craft the documents. Parties can also download forms from the internet and complete their own legal paperwork for presentation to the court.
Contact My Office for More Information
If you would like to learn more about mediation and other forms of Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR), call my Spokane, Washington office at 509-326-4162, or contact me by e-mail.
Karen EA Vache, PLLC
Attorney At Law
The Fernwell Building
505 West Riverside, Suite 500
Spokane, Washington 99201
509-326-4162
