ARBITRATOR and MEDIATOR

Our Services

What is Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)?

Ms. Dillard offers the experience that comes from decades of service as an arbitrator and mediator.  She has heard hundreds of cases after being appointed by courts, American Arbitration Association, Texas Education Agency, and private parties. 


Additionally, she brings her understanding of the court room, the business world, and academia, to provide common-sense application of the law in matters she is asked to resolve -- or in the context of mediation, to assist the parties in reaching their own solution.


Ms. Dillard serves as an arbitrator and mediator on the Commercial and Employment panels of the American Arbitration Association and on the International Centre for Dispute Resolution for seafarer cases against cruise lines.


Arbitration - the hearing and determining of a dispute or the settling of differences between parties by a person or persons chosen or agreed to by them. Most often arbitration is a binding process, and the parties generally cannot appeal the arbitrator's decision.

Mediation - an impartial person called a "mediator" helps the parties try to reach a mutually acceptable resolution of the dispute. The mediator does not decide the dispute but helps the parties communicate so they can try to settle the dispute themselves. Mediation leaves control of the outcome with the parties.

Neutral Evaluation -  each party gets a chance to present the case to a neutral person, who then gives an opinion on the strengths and weaknesses of each party's evidence and arguments and about how the dispute could be resolved. The evaluator is often an expert in the subject matter of the dispute. Although the evaluator's opinion is not binding, the parties typically use it as a basis for trying to negotiate a resolution of the dispute. 



All of the ADR services of arbitration, mediation, and neutral evaluation are offered by Ms. Dillard.  Fees for each service are based on the number of parties, the complexity of the issues, and length of time needed.