Ulf Ottho, a well-known retired lawyer who practiced in Ladner for 35 years, announced to the Ladner Business Association that he is forming an association of independent family law mediators in response to a crisis situation where people in family law disputes are not able to afford legal representation.
Ottho said the new association will have qualified mediators who have law degrees and who commit to not charging more than $200 per hour as a service to the community. Ottho notes that due to escalating costs of hiring lawyers, a mediation industry has developed where non-lawyers are charging $350 to $450 an hour, with lawyers who are mediators often billing at higher rates.
Ottho said mediation in family law developed in response to the continually escalating costs of litigation based on the adversarial legal system, which has each party in the matrimonial dispute paying for his or her own lawyer.
Mediation involves both parties engaging one qualified mediator who remains neutral in the process and determines what the parties have agreement on, while exploring ways to find common ground on issues in dispute. The desired goal is a fair and binding settlement that both parties willingly agree on.
Ottho said his group is composed of retired lawyers with the necessary skill sets and legal training who wish to contribute to the community. The group also mediates disputes involving construction law, elder law, and wills and estates.
To find out more, visit https://deltamediation.com.
