Mediation and ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution)

Filing suit and going to trial is not always the best course of action.  Litigation can be an expensive, time consuming and emotionally draining process.  In litigation, relationships are often irretrievably broken. If the other parties include members of your family or other people who are important to you, it may be preferable to resolve a dispute without trial.  At Knitter & Kniiter, LLP, we have successfully resolved hundreds of disputes for individuals and businesses, and are proponents of the ADR process as an alternative to litigation.  In addition to participating and representing parties in mediation and arbitrations, we are well trained and experienced in handling family, business and personal disputes as the mediator or arbitrator, as well as providing early neutral evaluations of contested cases.  David G. Knitter is regularly appointed as a mediator and arbitrator by the court in several Northern California counties, and has received over a hundred hours of training and education in mediation theory and techniques.

The ADR experience of Knitter & knitter, LLP, combined with our substantive knowledge of the law, allows us to offer alternatives to expensive and protracted litigation to resolve disputes and maintain long standing relationships.  Although mediation can involve a process where substantive knowledge in a specific area is not always necessary, it is beneficial to have a mediator who has special expertise and experience so as to identify the issues and relate to the parties involved so as to better communicate reasonable alternatives to litigation to successfully settle cases.  Common areas of disputes and litigated cases that are mediated or arbitrated include the following:

• Trust disputes, contests and litigation;
• Probate contests and litigation;
• Accounting disputes and litigation;
• Power of attorney and conservatorship disputes and litigation;
• Elder abuse claims and litigation;
• Undue influence claims and litigation;
• Fiduciary claims and litigation
• Community and separate property disputes and spousal entitlement claims;
• Business and real estate disputes and litigation.
• Contract disputes and litigation