Ten days ago, Joe Nocera wrote an article for the New York Times Business section titled “Justice, Without The System.” In it, he described an interview he had with Kenneth R. Feinberg about Feinberg’s work related to the BP oil spill in the Gulf and claims made against the company for damages. Over and over […]
Read more...It’s easy to Talk the Talk about Thanksgiving and family: “I am so thankful for my family.” “I love my family and I would do anything for them.” “Family comes first.” But do you Walk the Walk? Have you had those important conversations about estate planning? Have your parents told you their wishes about end-of-life […]
Read more...Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking on “Holidays and Tough Conversations” at The Hearth at Tuxis Pond in Madison, CT. It’s a timely topic: when families gather for the holidays they may find that family situations have changed since they last gathered: a loved one may be more frail, a caregiving plan in […]
Read more...Today’s New York Times ran a front-page article titled, “Money Woes Can Be Early Clue to Alzheimer’s,” by Gina Kolata. In particular, the article focused on the impact of the beginning of dementia on families, financial advisors, and lawyers. Families struggle to keep their loved ones from becoming victims of fraud or simply failing to […]
Read more...Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of giving a talk on meditation to the New Haven (CT) County Bar Association’s Trusts, Estates, and Probate Committee. The group included attorneys at every level, from those new to the bar to those who had been in practice for many years. The presentation covered two areas. First, […]
Read more...The New York Times blog, “The New Old Age”, ran a piece today on Elder Mediation. The piece, “When The Family Needs an Umpire”, by Joshua Tapper, described several scenarios where elder mediation can help a family through challenges relating to aging loved ones. The idea of a mediator as an “umpire” is not uncommon. […]
Read more...The Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) is the professional organization for mediators. Each year, ACR celebrates Conflict Resolution Day on the third Thursday of October. This year, that’s today, October 21. To quote ACR: “Conflict Resolution Day was conceived in 2005 by ACR to: • Promote awareness of mediation, arbitration, conciliation and other creative, peaceful […]
Read more...On September 19, 2010, the New York Times published an article titled “When Mortgage Mediation Is a Gamble” by Gretchen Morgenson. In it, she described some of the pitfalls of Nevada’s foreclosure mediation program. Most of the time we think of mediation as a low-risk endeavor: there isn’t much to lose in a process where […]
Read more...On September 19, 2010, the New York Times published an article titled “When Mortgage Mediation Is a Gamble” by Gretchen Morgenson. In it, she described some of the pitfalls of Nevada’s foreclosure mediation program. Most of the time we think of mediation as a low-risk endeavor: there isn’t much to lose in a process where […]
Read more...“Patience, persistence, and determination.” Those are the words used by Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell to describe how he will proceed in the Middle East Peace Process. Patience, persistence, and determination are the qualities that a mediator brings to a conflict. We work hard to get people in conflict to the table. […]
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