TAPM Mission Statement:

The Tennessee Association For Professional Mediators exists to promote mediation as a valuable and effective process empowering people in resolving disputes.

WHAT IS TAPM?
WHAT IS MEDIATON?

The Tennessee Association For Professional Mediators exists to promote mediation as a valuable and effective process empowering people in resolving disputes.

Mediation is a voluntary, consensual process that uses a trained, neutral third party to facilitate the negotiation of disputes with the goal of reaching a binding settlement agreement.  Almost any case, civil or family, is amenable to mediation.  With the exception of cases where the parties are attempting to make new law or cases in which there is no precedent, the ability to tap into the creativity of multiple persons is more satisfactory to the parties involved, rather than finding one answer from a judge or jury.  It often means that in cases where it is important to preserve the relationship of the parties, such as family cases, construction cases, employment cases, that relationship is strengthened, rather than severed by a court decision.

What are the benefits of mediation?

It is a voluntary process.  Parties are free to leave at any time.

It is a confidential process.  The only public record is an order which states that the parties have settled the case.

It is usually less expensive and time consuming than a trial in court.  Most mediations range from four hours to a day.  In family cases, there may be several sessions over several days or with periods of time inbetween. 

The parties retain control of the outcome.

The parties are more satisfied with the outcome.  If the parties are able to settle, the outcome is final with no appeals, and immediate.  If the parties do not settle on the day of the mediation, the issues are narrowed and likely the case will settle before trial.

If the settlement involves money, parties are more likely to comply with an agreement, they helped forge.