Alternative Dispute Resolution

The highly trained and experienced staff and volunteers at Empowered Pathways offer a variety of dispute resolution services.

Mediation allows people an opportunity to speak and be heard, while a neutral manages the conversation. It helps improve communication, improve relationships, and solve problems. Our professional mediators are trained and certified in accordance with standards set by the New York State Unified Court System, and their services offer real and lasting solutions. These services are free or low-cost.

Family Mediation is designed for people with a permanent relationship. It can address issues like parenting, custody, child support, elder care, and parent-teen conflict.

Community Mediation is available to a broad spectrum of people and organizations, including workplaces, small claims court, schools, businesses, and disputes between neighbors and tenants.

FAMILY MEDIATION

Custody Visitation

Intended to allow parents to build a self-determined plan for custody and/or visitation rights for their child(ren). For parents struggling with issues around custody and visitation rights.

Rather than fighting each other in open court, parents (and other family members) can sit down together and describe exactly what it is that they need to make an arrangement work, including issues of Custody and Visitation. This creates agreements that work better, last longer, and have much less of a negative impact on all involved parties.

SMALL CLAIMS CASES

Small Claims

Intended to allow parties involved in Small Claims proceedings to settle more quickly and with greater say in the process. Mediation can help find a resolution that the parties themselves choose.

These agreements are enforceable by the referring court, happen quickly, and offer a flexibility and satisfaction unique to the mediation process. The process is strictly voluntary, and offers both claimants and respondents an option they might not previously have been aware of.

FACILITATION SERVICES

Conflict Coaching

Intended to help an individual to build resilience and conflict resolution skills.

A trained coach meets with the individual one-on-one and discusses common sources of conflict. The coach and individual work together and develop plans and coping skills for conflicts. This service consists of two sessions, two hours each, that are structured to help individuals understand their conflict from their perspective and the perspective of the other parties in involved in the conflict. At the conclusion of the two sessions, the individual will have a constructive plan to deal with their current conflict and future conflicts.