Many elderly individuals would like to have family members involved in the decisions about their care. Other times, it is the family members who seek the assistance of the Elder Law Firm for their loved one.  However, despite the best of intentions, those family members, each of whom has a unique relationship with their elderly loved one, may not be speaking in his her or best interest. Sometimes the family member’s history or relationships with each other prevents necessary information from being shared, or interferes with open communication.

In these instances, rather than calling upon the Law Firm to represent the elderly adult or any of the family members as a client, the best option might be mediation.  Mediation is a process through which a neutral facilitator assists the parties in reaching a resolution.  If all parties are willing to participate, the process can assure that everyone is heard, and lay the foundation for creating a mutually beneficial solution.

Marsha Goodman has completed training in Mediation by the Office of the Attorney General, State of Arizona, Conflict Resolution Program, and the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution of Pepperdine University School of Law, as well as specialized training in Elder Mediation by the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the American Bar Association.