HELPING PEOPLE REACH AGREEMENT IN A WAY THAT FITS
THEIR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS.
Welcome
Patricia A. Vallerand, JD
Conflict Specialist
Pat Vallerand offers a continuum of Primary Dispute Resolution
Services (also called Alternative or Appropriate Dispute Resolution
Services) to individuals, businesses and organizations. She
is experienced, knowledgeable, creative and compassionately
committed to helping people resolve conflict and reach agreement
in a way that fits their individual needs and leads to maintaining
and/or building positive relationships.
Areas of Specialty
• Divorce, legal separation and dissolution
of domestic partnerships including parenting plans, property
division and child and spousal support.
• Adoption issues.
• Elder and disabled issues.
• Probate including Will disputes,
guardianships and conservatorships.
• Workplace issues including supervisor/employee
disputes, employee/employee disputes, and EEOC, OSHA and other
employment issues.
• Organizational structure and process.
• Business contracts and relationships
including partnership disputes and consumer complaints.
What is Primary Dispute Resolution?
Primary Dispute Resolution utilizes the services
of an impartial third party professional to resolve conflict
and disputes and reach agreements or decisions in a manner
that emphasizes the following benefits:
• Avoids court litigation.
• Saves time and money.
• Allows more control and involvement from the participants.
• Is tailored to particular situations.
• Uses creative solutions.
• Is private and/or confidential.
• Builds and maintains relationships.
• Results in more satisfaction to the participants.
Types of Dispute Resolution
Primary Dispute Resolution allows participants
to select the best process for them from a menu of options:
Mediation: An
impartial conflict specialist sets up a process which guides
parties toward an informed mutually agreeable solution in a
confidential setting. Mediation is most appropriate for situations
where a dispute exists between two or more parties. Go to the MEDIATION page.
Facilitation:
An impartial specialist sets up a process for a large group
or organization to meet and discuss, brainstorm and reach agreement
on either a dispute or a task or plan of action. Facilitation
is most effective with large groups of individuals with differing
viewpoints and/or with organizations. Go to the FACILITATION page.
Arbitration:
Arbitration uses the services of an impartial conflict specialist
to review testimony, exhibits and documents to make a decision
where parties are unable to reach agreement through negotiation,
mediation or other means. It is a good alternative to court
litigation where parties want a quick, less costly and less
time consuming resolution. Go to the ARBITRATION page.
Med-Arb: Med-Arb
is a process where the conflict specialist first works with
the parties to help them reach their own agreement and, if
the parties are unable to do so, the professional then makes
a decision for the parties as an Arbitrator. Go to the MED-ARB page.
Investigative and Evaluative
Services: An impartial conflict specialist reviews
material, information and/or interviews individuals to prepare
and make an oral or written analysis of the potential outcome
of a dispute if it were to be pursued through court litigation.
Go to the OTHER SERVICES page.