Welcome to Dispute Resolution Resources LLC

Services

The Services that DRR Provides:

Dispute Analysis
Resolution Strategies
Attorney Referral
Client Advocacy and Case Management
Mediation Services

Dispute Analysis

Before a dispute can be resolved, it is critical to understand all aspects of the dispute: how it arose, the personalities of the parties to the dispute, how and why each party is motivated to pursue or resolve the dispute, what each party hopes to achieve upon a successful resolution--and what it stands to lose if the result is unfavorable.

DRR's goal is to help clients resolve disputes or to find solutions to legal problems before formal litigation begins or, in matters involving the criminal justice system (which can be as varied as contesting drunk driving citations to domestic violence charges to white collar criminal investigations), at an early stage in the process.

To achieve an early resolution, clients need to be "informed consumers" of the legal process--both how the system works and its limitations. DRR works with clients to educate them about the process, the parties, potential costs and outcomes. DRR helps its clients focus on their key needs, what they need to achieve when resolving a dispute. Oftentimes, disputes become many faceted, and DRR helps its clients focus on the elements that are key to them, helping them to know what issues may be available for compromise and those which are "must-haves".

DRR also helps its clients understand the positions of their adversaries in a dispute which helps them develop a strategy for resolution. Knowing the other side's "must-haves", and appreciating them, enables DRR's clients to develop "win-win" strategies that help both sides achieve their key needs which leads to faster, more economical and stronger solutions.

Resolution Strategies

While it may appear that the only way to resolve a dispute is to call the police (in the case of a troublesome neighbor) or begin a lawsuit (where somebody has been injured by another's negligence), in fact there are many different ways to approach an adversary and resolve a dispute--and many of these approaches are less expensive, less confrontational and more effective. DRR is expert in helping its clients evaluate these alternatives to see if they would be appropriate for their particular dispute.

Many of DRR's clients opt to resolve their disputes through mediation. In the mediation process, all parties to a dispute meet with an impartial mediator (a "neutral") who helps them air their grievances in a non-confrontational forum where the parties can explain their positions. Neutrals provide a forum for the parties to work together to find mutually acceptable solutions and at the end of the mediation, the parties create an agreement which documents the way they have resolved their dispute.

In other situations, DRR's clients have directly approached their adversary with proposals to resolve disputes, bringing in legal professionals only for the purpose of documenting the settlement--but not allowing them to be engaged in the substantive negotiations.

In family law matters, "collaborative divorce" is emerging as a new way for couples seeking to end their marriage (or handle matters of child custody and child support) to resolve their issues and DRR works as its client's "coach" to develop strategies to achieve their goals.

DRR helps its clients think "outside the box" to develop strategies which will result in successful resolution of their disputes.

It is important to understand that the services that DRR provides are not a substitute for legal counsel. DRR does not provide legal advice and encourages its clients to retain competent counsel. DRR helps its clients make the most effective use of legal counsel by making them informed, prepared and focused on their desired results.

Attorney Referral

DRR conducts individualized searches for the right attorney or other professional to represent its clients. Even though attorneys fees can be many thousands of dollars (and often, significant retainers are required just to commence a litigation), DRR has found that most people seeking legal counsel do not treat this in the same way they treat other major expenses. Instead of conducting a thorough search for their counsel, inquiring into experience, staffing and case management, and expense and fees, they generally look for a referral to a friend or business associate who may have had a similar situation. While that referral may have obtained an excellent result, both the case and the situation were different. It is extremely important to determine that the lawyer (or accountant or other professional) is exactly right for the particular case and the particular client.

That's what DRR does: it locates the best lawyer for its clients' particular situation, taking into consideration the clients' objectives and the strategy that the client wants to pursue. Utilizing its worldwide network of contacts, DRR is able to locate the best attorneys available to handle the matter--and then find the very best attorney for the particular case. Generally, DRR provides its clients with three candidates and joins its clients in interviewing the potential lawyers, either face to face or telephonically. Once this process is complete, DRR gives its views to the client, who makes the ultimate decision. While this process is time consuming, it helps to prevent problems during the dispute resolution process since the client and the attorney have already agreed on the litigation strategy, the client is apprised of the costs and there is a "fit" between the client and the lawyer.

Unlike other attorney referral services, DRR is completely independent and does not accept fees from the attorneys to whom it makes referrals. Virtually every other referral service requires a membership or directory listing fee as a precedent to being included in the directory.

In personal injury referrals, in some jurisdictions it is industry practice to be paid a referral fee. In those situations, full disclosure is made to DRR's client and the referral fee is used to reduce DRR's fee. If a client prefers to pay DRR's fee, DRR will decline the referral fee.

Client Advocacy and Case Management

DRR will perform the same service for its clients as a general counsel does for large corporations: it will act as a client advocate with the attorneys who have been retained by the client; and it will monitor the activities of the counsel to assure that the matter is being handled effectively and economically and with focus. The experience of DRR's managing director, Stanley Witkow, as a general counsel to large companies, is invaluable in making certain that legal costs are contained, that unnecessary legal procedures are avoided and that counsel work efficiently and economically.

Among the things that DRR does when it acts as a client's advocate is to act as an intermediary between the lawyers and the clients. DRR may be able to answer a client's questions easier, with less lawyer jargon and at lower cost than frequent calls between the attorney and the client. One of the major causes of high legal bills is due to the time spent by senior attorneys answering questions from clients. Since lawyers generally bill in ¼ hour increments, even a very short phone call can result in a charge of $100 or more.

As its client's advocate, DRR regularly consults with counsel and provides the client with regular status reports on the progress of the litigation, including explanations of the various legal procedures which are being undertaken. DRR works with counsel to establish litigation budgets and reviews billing invoices to make certain that budgets are being adhered to and that time is being properly allocated.

Mediation Services

DRR strongly advocates alternative dispute resolution methodology such as mediation. Stanley Witkow is a mediator with broad experience helping adversaries work together to find mutually satisfactory solutions to their conflicts.

When parties put the resolution of their dispute in the hands of a third party, such as a judge or an arbitrator, they lose control of the process because the judge or arbitrator is required to find that one party or the other should prevail. This means that one party wins and the other loses and that there is no middle ground. In a mediation, the mediator (the "Neutral") is not a decision-maker. He or she is a facilitator who helps the parties find a solution that is acceptable to both. This nearly always involves both parties making compromises. In the process each party learns about the key requirements of the adverse party and is able to make proposals that accommodate (or at least address) those needs, while still preserving their own position. The result is much more satisfactory, particularly in situations which require that the resolution be followed for a long period of time, such as child custody matters or neighbor-to-neighbor disputes, because the parties have developed the solution together, rather than having a solution imposed upon them by a third-party who may not understand or appreciate all of the facts or special circumstances.








	Services The Services that DRR Provides: Dispute Analysis Resolution Strategies Attorney Referral Client Advocacy and Case Management Mediation Services Dispute Analysis Before a dispute can be resolved, it is critical to understand all aspects of the dispute: how it arose, the personalities of the parties to the dispute, how and why each party is motivated to pursue or resolve the dispute, what each party hopes to achieve upon a successful resolution--and what it stands to lose if the result is unfavorable. DRR's goal is to help clients resolve disputes or to find solutions to legal problems before formal litigation begins or, in matters involving the criminal justice system (which can be as varied as contesting drunk driving citations to domestic violence charges to white collar criminal investigations), at an early stage in the process. To achieve an early resolution, clients need to be "informed consumers" of the legal process--both how the system works and its limitations. DRR works with clients to educate them about the process, the parties, potential costs and outcomes. DRR helps its clients focus on their key needs, what they need to achieve when resolving a dispute. Oftentimes, disputes become many faceted, and DRR helps its clients focus on the elements that are key to them, helping them to know what issues may be available for compromise and those which are "must-haves". DRR also helps its clients understand the positions of their adversaries in a dispute which helps them develop a strategy for resolution. Knowing the other side's "must-haves", and appreciating them, enables DRR's clients to develop "win-win" strategies that help both sides achieve their key needs which leads to faster, more economical and stronger solutions. Resolution Strategies While it may appear that the only way to resolve a dispute is to call the police (in the case of a troublesome neighbor) or begin a lawsuit (where somebody has been injured by another's negligence), in fact there are many different ways to approach an adversary and resolve a dispute--and many of these approaches are less expensive, less confrontational and more effective. DRR is expert in helping its clients evaluate these alternatives to see if they would be appropriate for their particular dispute. Many of DRR's clients opt to resolve their disputes through mediation. In the mediation process, all parties to a dispute meet with an impartial mediator (a "neutral") who helps them air their grievances in a non-confrontational forum where the parties can explain their positions. Neutrals provide a forum for the parties to work together to find mutually acceptable solutions and at the end of the mediation, the parties create an agreement which documents the way they have resolved their dispute. In other situations, DRR's clients have directly approached their adversary with proposals to resolve disputes, bringing in legal professionals only for the purpose of documenting the settlement--but not allowing them to be engaged in the substantive negotiations. In family law matters, "collaborative divorce" is emerging as a new way for couples seeking to end their marriage (or handle matters of child custody and child support) to resolve their issues and DRR works as its client's "coach" to develop strategies to achieve their goals. DRR helps its clients think "outside the box" to develop strategies which will result in successful resolution of their disputes. It is important to understand that the services that DRR provides are not a substitute for legal counsel. DRR does not provide legal advice and encourages its clients to retain competent counsel. DRR helps its clients make the most effective use of legal counsel by making them informed, prepared and focused on their desired results. Attorney Referral DRR conducts individualized searches for the right attorney or other professional to represent its clients. Even though attorneys fees can be many thousands of dollars (and often, significant retainers are required just to commence a litigation), DRR has found that most people seeking legal counsel do not treat this in the same way they treat other major expenses. Instead of conducting a thorough search for their counsel, inquiring into experience, staffing and case management, and expense and fees, they generally look for a referral to a friend or business associate who may have had a similar situation. While that referral may have obtained an excellent result, both the case and the situation were different. It is extremely important to determine that the lawyer (or accountant or other professional) is exactly right for the particular case and the particular client. That's what DRR does: it locates the best lawyer for its clients' particular situation, taking into consideration the clients' objectives and the strategy that the client wants to pursue. Utilizing its worldwide network of contacts, DRR is able to locate the best attorneys available to handle the matter--and then find the very best attorney for the particular case. Generally, DRR provides its clients with three candidates and joins its clients in interviewing the potential lawyers, either face to face or telephonically. Once this process is complete, DRR gives its views to the client, who makes the ultimate decision. While this process is time consuming, it helps to prevent problems during the dispute resolution process since the client and the attorney have already agreed on the litigation strategy, the client is apprised of the costs and there is a "fit" between the client and the lawyer. Unlike other attorney referral services, DRR is completely independent and does not accept fees from the attorneys to whom it makes referrals. Virtually every other referral service requires a membership or directory listing fee as a precedent to being included in the directory. In personal injury referrals, in some jurisdictions it is industry practice to be paid a referral fee. In those situations, full disclosure is made to DRR's client and the referral fee is used to reduce DRR's fee. If a client prefers to pay DRR's fee, DRR will decline the referral fee. Client Advocacy and Case Management DRR will perform the same service for its clients as a general counsel does for large corporations: it will act as a client advocate with the attorneys who have been retained by the client; and it will monitor the activities of the counsel to assure that the matter is being handled effectively and economically and with focus. The experience of DRR's managing director, Stanley Witkow, as a general counsel to large companies, is invaluable in making certain that legal costs are contained, that unnecessary legal procedures are avoided and that counsel work efficiently and economically. Among the things that DRR does when it acts as a client's advocate is to act as an intermediary between the lawyers and the clients. DRR may be able to answer a client's questions easier, with less lawyer jargon and at lower cost than frequent calls between the attorney and the client. One of the major causes of high legal bills is due to the time spent by senior attorneys answering questions from clients. Since lawyers generally bill in ¼ hour increments, even a very short phone call can result in a charge of $100 or more. As its client's advocate, DRR regularly consults with counsel and provides the client with regular status reports on the progress of the litigation, including explanations of the various legal procedures which are being undertaken. DRR works with counsel to establish litigation budgets and reviews billing invoices to make certain that budgets are being adhered to and that time is being properly allocated. Mediation Services DRR strongly advocates alternative dispute resolution methodology such as mediation. Stanley Witkow is a mediator with broad experience helping adversaries work together to find mutually satisfactory solutions to their conflicts. When parties put the resolution of their dispute in the hands of a third party, such as a judge or an arbitrator, they lose control of the process because the judge or arbitrator is required to find that one party or the other should prevail. This means that one party wins and the other loses and that there is no middle ground. In a mediation, the mediator (the "Neutral") is not a decision-maker. He or she is a facilitator who helps the parties find a solution that is acceptable to both. This nearly always involves both parties making compromises. In the process each party learns about the key requirements of the adverse party and is able to make proposals that accommodate (or at least address) those needs, while still preserving their own position. The result is much more satisfactory, particularly in situations which require that the resolution be followed for a long period of time, such as child custody matters or neighbor-to-neighbor disputes, because the parties have developed the solution together, rather than having a solution imposed upon them by a third-party who may not understand or appreciate all of the facts or special circumstances.