My professional skills and experiences allow me to guide parties to a mutually acceptable solution, and my intent has always been to combine my legal and clinical experience and apply them to situations that can be mediated.  I graduated from the University of Illinois with a Masters’s degree in Social Work (MSW), and from Saint Louis University with a Juris Doctorate (JD).  

In the past several years, I have contracted with private and governmental entities, and have applied my skills in a variety of settings including courtrooms handling litigation and making recommendations to judges in a variety of contested matters.  I have specialized in contested divorce and custody matters, but have also mediated a multitude of disputes over the years.  I am a mediator because I truly believe mediation to be the best way to resolve disputes.

Mediation is an efficient and proven process of resolving disputes.   Protracted battles and extensive legal expenses can be avoided.  
Not to mention the benefit of simply having your dispute resolved.  
Chances are, you would probably like to put your issues behind you in a predicable and controlled manner rather than continue to fight for an unpredictable result.  So really the question is, 

“why would you not want to mediate?”

If it's legal and the parties agree . . . It can be done.
Mediation - faster, cheaper, private and remedies are unlimited.  Even the federal courts rely on mediation for these reasons.  In fact, every single case brought under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its progeny, the majority of lawsuits currently being brought before the courts, are required to undergo court-ordered mediation in an attempt to reach an acceptable agreement prior to setting foot in a federal courtroom.  The courts themselves clearly realize the advantages of mediation.  This court-ordered variety has been proven successful in fashioning remedies agreeable to the parties much more quickly and efficiently clearing the court's docket to create time to address disputes not solvable via mediation.

FASTER

Even if the parties have agreed as to all issues involved in a court-fashioned remedy, the parties still must wait for the wheels of justice to turn in order for their agreement to become enforceable under the law.  Not so in the world of mediation.  The parties can agree to self-enforce their agreement until any action required of a court is completed.  The parties can begin the healing process much more quickly.

PRIVATE

The healing process is also made easier because all the details of a mediated agreement can be kept private.  The facts of your life need not become part of the public record.  This creates a huge advantage for those choosing to mediate their dispute.  Additionally, it increases the likelihood that the parties will be forthcoming concerning information relevant to the dispute