WHAT IS MEDIATION?
Mediation is a voluntary process in which two or more parties involved in a dispute work with an impartial party, the mediator, to generate their own solutions in settling their conflict.
Unlike a judge or an arbitrator whose decisions subject one party to win and the other party to lose, mediation is about finding a solution that works for both parties.
CCR now offers virtual mediation via Zoom. Not sure what mediation on Zoom would look like? Watch the CCR Zoom Mediation video!
HOW DOES A DISPUTE OR A CASE REACH MEDIATION?
Anyone who is involved in the dispute can contact CCR to open a case. Please contact our case management team at 312-922-6464 ext. 222 or newcase@ccrchicago.org if you'd like to open a new case. Cases may also be referred by attorneys or judges by contacting the CCR. In many situations, if you are at court, you may also request mediation by asking the courtroom clerk or judge.
CCR also offers mediation services through programs developed in the Circuit Court of Cook County including the Daley Center, Skokie, Maywood, Markham, Bridgeview and Rolling Meadows courthouses, misdemeanor branch courts and Juvenile Court. CCR's other programs include mediations conducted at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), through the Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC), the Community Consensus Project, and those referred through the Law, Chancery, Probate and Domestic Relations divisions of the Circuit Court of Cook County.
WHAT TYPES OF CASES ARE
SUITABLE FOR MEDIATION?
The majority of cases mediated by CCR are civil in nature. Mediations may involve tenants and landlords, families, neighborhoods, juvenile offenders, the workplace, corporate, employment, construction, real estate, health care, church and community disputes.
It is not necessary for cases to have legal issues and/or lawsuits pending.
Please see our handy flow chart to help determine if your case is suitable for mediation.
WHEN SHOULD I CONSIDER MEDIATION?
Mediation is always an option if you are thinking about taking your dispute to court. Other signs may be if the dispute has been ongoing, if you want to preserve a relationship being affected by the conflict, if the dispute is upsetting and affecting your daily life, if you cannot afford the time and cost involved with litigation, if you would like to speak to the other party so they may hear your concerns, or if you would like to resolve the dispute yourself without a third party judgment.
Anyone can bring a case to mediation!
Please contact our case management team at 312-922-6464 extension 222 or newcase@ccrchicago.org if you'd like to open a mediation case.
“We walked away with a resolution we both liked, and we’re getting along” - Mediation Participant
NOISY NEIGHBOR
Jessica was excited when she moved her family into a new apartment, but Jessica’s neighbor started calling the police on her for noise complaints. After the third complaint, property manager Lucy served Jessica with a notice stating that she violated her lease and had 10 days to move.
The dispute eventually went to court, and the judge referred them to mediation. Though Jessica and Lucy only had negative interactions leading up to the mediation, the mediator helped them realize that they had a lot in common. They learned that they were both working mothers who recently made big career changes to provide for their families.
With this common ground, each party felt more willing to see things from the other's perspective. Eventually, Jessica agreed to move somewhere where she felt more welcomed by her neighbors. The parties left the mediation prepared to move forward.