Paul Fletcher is a mediator (accreditation in progress). His personable and considered approach, combined with his extensive experience across most areas of commercial law and litigation, means he is well placed to guide disputing parties toward finding a resolution.
Mediations are conducted in accordance with rules, against a set process that is designed to increase the chances of parties finding common ground.
To state the obvious, litigation can be a lengthy, expensive, stressful and uncertain experience. As an adversarial system, litigation pits parties against each other, and tends to exacerbate the differences between the parties. In many cases, it can result in a “lose-lose” situation for the parties, the justice system and society in general.
On the other hand, mediation encourages and enables parties to discuss the issues, and potential solutions, in a “without prejudice” environment. This can often lead to a solution via settlement that provides an acceptable and prompt outcome for the disputing parties, avoiding the significant time and cost associated with litigation.