Selecting your mediator and drafting the mediation agreement – Given the critical role played by the mediator in the mediation process, the selection of the mediator is a topic that attracts significant attention. While in some cases the parties (or their advisors) will have a specific mediator in mind or be content to engage a mediator proposed by one of the commercial ADR providers, the exercise of identifying suitable candidates is often more complex. This guide seeks to identify some of the key factors to consider in the selection process.

Want a Divorce? Stop the Emotional Yo-Yo and Be Clear About It – Don’t beat around the bush when asking for divorce.

When a Car Loan Means Bankruptcy – The mortgage industry set the stage for the recession by luring people into ruinously priced loans they could never hope to repay, then selling those loans to Wall Street in mortgage-backed securities that went bad. The federal government has since tamed that industry, outlawing most of the risky and deceptive practices that led to that crisis. It must now do the same with the auto lending industry, where the practice of roping people into loans that damage them financially is all too common.