Why Mediate with Devry Smith Frank LLP?

DSF's mediation services provide an efficient and cost-effective method of dispute resolution providing a forum for constructive and positive discussion between the parties to a dispute. It provides an alternative to a trial or arbitration, where the outcome is imposed by a third party (judge, jury or arbitrator). In mediation, a mediator will facilitate a conversation between two or more people to help them resolve a dispute. Our mediators are unbiased and will not make decisions for you. They are trained to establish and maintain a safe, confidential, communicative process, and to help participants reach an agreement on their own. The process is informal and private, making mediation much less stressful than court proceedings. And without any costly or lengthy court time, our services save you more time and money.

With over 20 years of experience, our mediators offer mediation services in many areas of law, including; family law, personal injury, insurance defence, real estate, business and corporate services, employment law, medical malpractice, tax/wealth planning, and sexual abuse cases.

At trial, there is often a winner and a loser. But at mediation, the parties have the final decision- making power and have control over the process and the result. Mediation relies on a neutral facilitator who guides the parties to a mutually agreeable resolution. In addition, the parties can elect to keep the mediation proceedings confidential, which is often not possible at a trial or arbitration.

Benefits of mediation with DSF

Mediation is far less stressful than legal trial proceedings which may be fraught with frequent attorney meetings, court appearances, and multiple confrontations. The idea behind our services is to promote friendly cooperation that is mutually beneficial to everyone. DSF offers mediation in-house where clients can choose between our Toronto, Barrie and Whitby locations at their convenience.

The cost of DSF’s mediation is less than the average cost in time and money for the litigation of a dispute. Our mediator's hourly rate is generally lower than the hourly rate for a lawyer. Parties can often schedule mediation within weeks of a decision to mediate or a court order to mediate. Mediation is informal and there are fewer barriers than the court system. While we recommend our clients to independent legal advice beforehand, no special knowledge or language is necessary. Our role is to make the conversation easier to have, not more difficult.

Mediation is also timely, disputes can be resolved right away rather than waiting for a court date and there are fewer procedures and red tape to navigate. As a result, disputes are almost always resolved faster through mediation than going to court.