Rate-a-Neutral

I've posted a few blogs on the benefits of divorce mediation (see: Divorce Mediation), but I recently saw an article in the ABA Journal about a new nonprofit company that will start rating arbitrators and mediators.

International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution is the first of its kind to "connect practitioners to the best practices in dispute resolution," and will begin providing online ratings early next year. Here's an excert from the ABA's article, Rate-a-Neutral: Group to Offer Evaluations of Arbitrators, Mediators:

With Fortune 500 companies demanding more transparency in the dispute resolution process, a New York City-based nonprofit has decided to start rating arbitrators and mediators.

The International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution hopes its online ratings will be available early next year. Its members will be able to use their passwords to access the information on the organization’s website.

The service is believed to be the first of its kind for alternative dispute resolution. It was developed after institute members—largely Fortune 500 companies and their lawyers—complained there wasn’t enough information available on mediators and arbitrators, called neutrals, according to Kathleen Bryan, the organization’s president and chief executive officer. Continue reading»

Rate-a-Neutral

Amaral & Associates, P.C. in the Press!

This past Sunday, September 20th, 2009, Attorney Ed Amaral was featured in an article in The Boston Herald regarding the benefits of divorce mediation in a tough economy where the divorce rate is steadily increasing over time.

One field is booming though - divorce mediators. “There are all these articles saying mediators are busier than hell,” said Nissenbaum. That’s true for attorney Edward Amaral Jr. of Boston- and Winthrop-based Amaral & Associates, who said that since the recession started, his mediation business has grown “15 to 20 percent.” Continue reading»

Amaral & Associates, P.C. in the Press!

Recession Keeps Divorce on Ice

I can say that you heard it first here this time. The Winthrop Sun Transcript on April 2, 2009 and The North End Regional Review on April 28, 2009 both published articles about Amaral & Associates, P.C., regarding how the effects of the recession have lowered the number of divorce cases in and around Massachusetts and the nation, by over 27% (See our "Recent Press" section on Amaral & Associates, P.C.'s website).

On July 13, 2009, The Wall Street Journal published a similar article, detailing how the current recession is "keeping divorce on ice" for many couples. In "What God Has Joined Together, Recession Makes Hard to Put Asunder," the WSJ's Jennifer Levitz follows three couples, as they contemplate the expensive issue of divorce in today's down economy.

There's also an ongoing conversation about the WSJ article over on LinkedIn's Collaborative Family Law Group. What do you think of couples delaying their divorces because of the down market? You can join the conversation here»

Recession Keeps Divorce on Ice