At interMEDIATE Dispute Management, our reach is local and global and the flexibility in our approach is second to none. Distance is no longer an obstacle to attaining a suitable resolution to challenging commercial disputes.

Whether yours is a business partnership dispute, family business dispute, franchise dispute, strata title dispute, small, medium or large business to business dispute, we can help you to find resolution. Save your valuable time and money. Make robust agreements without litigation. Stay out of court. Mediation works.

We have a large team of Nationally Accredited Mediators with experiences from all areas of commerce to get you back to business.

If you would like to improve your communication to allow you to work effectively together, resolve issues with contracts that are no longer appropriate, get paid, improve services or products etc. we can help you to find practical workable solutions and get back to work. If that is not possible, we help you to settle your differences and part company amicably, without destroying each other in court, in cyberspace or in the business environment.

Our methods include:

Our Accredited Mediators understand that clear intentions and honest dialogue is a critical aspect in facilitating a positive outcome between businesses involved in a commercial dispute.

The acknowledgement of relevant issues, pressing concerns and the tactful management of misunderstandings forms the cornerstone for the mediation process to proceed with integrity.

Disputing parties are in an environment where structure and support allow for the shedding of armour and hostility. Options for resolution and active negotiation replace the stalemate between the parties. Agreements are forged that are built upon integrity and this leads to a much more satisfying alternative result that a court process could not have produced.

Due to the pro-activity that is actively encouraged, each party takes responsibility for their informed decisions. As a result, Mediated agreements have a very high compliance rate.

When required, we encourage legal advice prior to mediation. Should you be genuinely concerned about compromising your legal rights, legal advisors are permitted into the mediation setting, providing each party and the mediators, gives prior consent and that the legal advisors abide by the mediators’ ground rules – including confidentiality of process etc. Stay out of court.

Legal advisors are welcome in mediation. Whilst most parties are willing and able to negotiate together with the assistance of mediators alone, some feel the need to have their legal advisors to help ensure they are making decisions that are legally sound. The lawyer does not work as a legal representative, but as an advisor.

Mediation can avert the need for court which is destructive to commercial relationships, is horrendously stressful, time and energy consuming, and expensive. Court is not designed to resolve disputes, nor is it about justice. Court is there to interpret and apply the letter of the law, to pass judgement, make orders and/or impose a penalty. Often neither party is satisfied with the result, and the real dispute escalates as a result.

Mediators’ notes are confidential, destroyed after the session, so cannot be subpoenaed, and importantly, you, your family, staff and other stakeholders, are protected from adverse publicity. Court, on the other hand is a lengthy, stressful, expensive and risky process where battles can end up in the media.

New information gleaned through mediation cannot be used in any subsequent court process. Confidentiality is built into the Agreement to Mediate and all notes – the mediators’, parties’ (and legal advisors if applicable) are destroyed at the end of the mediation. Mediators cannot be subpoenaed to court.

Commercial Mediation is non-adversarial. Benefits to commercial mediation include the ability for parties to repair and sometimes enhance their business relationship. They can get back to business much more quickly and easily than if they battled it out in court.

Non-productive time is reduced and managerial time can be used once again to drive and manage the business.

Your time is best spent running your business. Mediation is far less stressful and far less expensive than the adversarial, time consuming litigious court process. Mediation aims for a Win/Win outcome where parties decide the outcome, whereas court proceedings usually generates a Win/Lose outcome – often neither side is satisfied with a result dictated by a third party – Lose/Lose.

Mediation plays a vital role in repairing destructive commercial relationships without going to court. The sheer expense along with the psychological distress for all parties can be negated by using mediation.

The role of the court is not to take note of the intricacies of a disagreement between two commercial entities, it exists to interpret and apply the letter of the law and to pass judgement. Orders and penalties can also be handed down and subsequently, neither party is satisfied with the result often causing further escalations.

Mediation is private. Mediators’ notes are confidential and cannot be subpoenaed, and importantly, you, your family, staff and other stakeholders, are protected from adverse publicity. Court, on the other hand is a lengthy, stressful, expensive and risky process where battles can end up in the media.

A key benefit of Commercial Mediation is that adversarial behaviour is nullified in favour of developing purpose driven dialogue that assists each party to repair and sometimes restore a business relationship.

What this means for parties involved in mediation:

Mediation aims for a Win/Win outcome where parties decide the outcome therefore avoiding the litigious atmosphere and expense, of the court system. A court exists to issue a Win/Lose outcome – where neither party is satisfied with a result dictated by a third party – Lose/Lose.