Resolving Neighborhood Disputes in Chicago Illinois through Mediation

Neighborhood disputes in Chicago Illinois can be uncomfortable because you may see the person with whom you are in conflict every day.  Home can stop feeling less like a sanctuary and more like a battleground.  Mediation can be an effective way to resolve neighborhood disputes in Chicago Illinois.  Before beginning this process, it is important to understand the basics of mediation.

Who Is Present 

Mediation is much less formal than a courtroom proceeding.  A judge, bailiff and court reporter are not present.  There is no audience.  Mediation is a private process.  You and your neighbor will be present along with a third-party neutral who serves as a facilitator to help you reach a resolution of the dispute.

Nature of the Process

In litigation, the parties take adversarial positions from each other.  Their actual involvement in the process is minimal as their attorneys present their positions.  In mediation, the parties are actively engaged in the process.  They negotiate and problem solve potential resolutions.  They may be asked to brainstorm possible ways to solve their problem.  Mediation is a collaborative process in which the parties work together to develop their own solutions.  You and your neighbor are in control of the process and can determine what the ultimate resolution will be.

Creative Solutions

You and your neighbor can freely express yourselves without worrying that the information will be made public in a courtroom or pleadings filed with the court.  You can fashion creative solutions that a court of law may not have provided.  In this manner, you and your neighbor can both walk away with what feels like a win, usually being able to preserve a cordial relationship with one another.