- ADR - Frequently Asked Questions
- ADR - Small Claims Court
- When do you use Alternative Dispute Resolution?
- Cell Phone Contracts
- Landlord and Tenant Board Mediation
- How to Negotiate
- Straight Talk on Collection Agencies
- Pre-paid Memberships
- Phony Business: Telemarketers and Telephone Scams
- Consumers and Motor Vehicle Repairs
- Home Renovations and Consumer Protection Laws in Ontario
Law Talk: When do you use Alternative Dispute Resolution?
August, 2008
Conflict is not inherently destructive, in fact, it can present us with an opportunity to strengthen relationships and achieve personal growth. Our attitude and reaction to conflict is a critical factor. Unresolved conflict is negative, however, addressing and even welcoming the conflict in our lives can transform an adversarial situation into something constructive.
The applications of mediation are continuously growing. Mediation can be used in couple and family disputes, divorce, parenting disputes after divorce, parent-child disputes, in the aging field, heath care settings, mental health, education, workplace harassment, intercultural disputes, human rights disputes, landlord and tenant disputes, small claims court matters, neighbour disputes, and many other community disputes.
Alternative Dispute Resolution is a good choice to solve conflict for parties who are looking for a resolution to the issue. Also, it is advantageous for parties who are looking for a confidential, less expensive, faster, more convenient, and more informal process than alternative resolutions.
The Dispute Resolution Centre (DRC) at the University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law offers mediation for free to members of the London & Middlesex County community when the issues fall under our case acceptance policy.
The DRC accepts:
- Small Claims Court/Civil matters
- Roommate disputes
- Cooperative housing matters
- Neighbour disputes
- Evictions
- Many other matters where mediation is requested
The DRC cannot accept:
- Divorce, separation or other family matters
- Disputes involving child custody or child support payments
- Pending criminal matters
This column provides legal information only. If you need legal advice please contact a lawyer, community legal clinic or the Lawyer Referral Service at 1-900-565-4LRS. London-Middlesex residents can contact the Dispute Resolution Centre at the Faculty of Law, University of Western Ontario at 519-661-3352 to book an appointment to discuss mediation services.