Services
Family Mediation
Family mediation covers a variety of areas including divorce, paternity (i.e. custody between non-married parties), and elder care. Mediations can be held pre-suit (e.g. before a complaint for dissolution of marriage or determination of paternity has been filed), or they can be held during the court process. An offshoot of family mediation, dependency mediation, holds similarities and overlaps with family mediation. Similar to family mediation, issues relating to where the child(ren) will stay and what child support should be paid are often discussed in dependency mediation. However, this type of mediation is done within the context of an action brought by a state agency against the caregiver(s). While the Olive Branch Institute offers pre-suit mediation for family mediation, there is no pre-suit option for dependency mediation.
Key elements of mediation are that it is a voluntary and confidential process. In mediation, the parties drive the confidential negotiations, while the mediator facilitates the conversation. Another key tenet of mediation is that the mediator is neutral and cannot decide for the parties. The result of these elements is a forum where negotiations can flow without the fear of retaliation in the courtroom, and the parties can take ownership of the process and its solutions.
Mediation fees are assessed hourly or daily. Hourly fees start at a rate of $150 per hour, with a two-hour minimum. Daily fees begin at a rate of $1,000 per day. All mediations require a $100 per session administrative fee.
Accord Building
Whether a B2B relation sours, or two employees are having a dispute, conflict, though often undesirable, can lead to something better. Accord Building is a process whereby a conflict is used as a tool for not only resolving the issue at hand, but creating and implementing policy. Unbound by the strictures of legal processes, Accord Building can involve input from multiple parties and aims to draft blueprints for cooperation, whether internal or outward facing. This process is useful for crafting bylaws, workplace policies, as much as it is for dealing with aspects of joint ventures and mergers.
Hourly fees begin at $150 per hour. There is a three hour minimum.
Dispute Consulting
Whenever a dispute arises, tensions can rise, emotions can flare, and tunnel vision can set in. All of these are normal reactions, but they can prohibit a party from analyzing a dispute in a constructive manner. And that's where Dispute Consulting can provide valuable insight. An objective third party can offer analysis from a different vantage point and help the client formulate creative, constructive solutions.
Dispute consulting can help in preparation for negotiations. However, it is not to be confused with legal advice or any type therapy or mental health counseling.
Differentiating elements of this approach include that it is single-client facing (and therefore not neutral) and that the work product include a non-binding actionable plan.
Dispute Consulting fees begin at $75 per hour (variable on complexity).
Conflict IQ Education
Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day... Teach a person to navigate conflict, and the world becomes a better place.
The Olive Branch Institute believes that conflict resolution skills are not some trade secret to be kept under lock and key. Knowing how to assess what is at stake and how to approach conflict can improve homes, teams, schools, businesses, and communities.
The Olive Branch Institute can provide this education in seminar and/or workshop format. Plus, keep an eye out for Olive Branch Institute online courses (arriving Spring 2025).