In these days of tremendous backlog in our courts’ dockets, getting to court has become a long and often stressful and expensive process. Therefore, an area of law known as alternative dispute resolution has been growing and evolving since the early 1980s. The most utilized area of alternative dispute resolution is mediation. Mediation involves the parties coming together with an uninvolved third party (the mediator) who has been trained and educated to help the parties resolve their dispute without the need of a jury and/or judge. This process is not only less stressful and less expensive, but it also empowers the parties to have control over the resolution of their cases. Mediation has been so effective, that in many jurisdictions in the State of Florida and elsewhere, the court requires the parties participate in mediation before they can even have their case set on a trial docket. Laurie Zimmerman, as a Florida Bar Certified Circuit Court Mediator, is available to mediate all civil disputes. Please call (941) 364-8503 for Laurie Zimmerman’s mediation fee schedule and availability.