Mediation/Family & siblings
Family disputes
When the dispute is inside the family.
Ageing parents, an inheritance, the family business, an old grievance that never healed. These are the disputes where winning costs the most, because you still have to sit at the same table afterwards.
Sounds familiar?
The situations this page is for.
- Siblings disagreeing about a parent's care
- An estate or inheritance that has divided the family
- A family business where roles and money are tangled
- Adult children and parents who have stopped speaking
- A wedding, a holiday, a decision — and a family split down the middle
- Harm done years ago that still shapes every conversation
How we'd help
Making the conversation possible again.
Family mediation is confidential and voluntary. The mediator's role is to make the conversation possible — not to decide who was right.
Often the practical question (who pays for care, how an estate is divided) sits on top of an older one about fairness, recognition or trust. Mediation makes room for both. Where the harm runs deep, restorative practices — a structured process built around accountability and repair — can do what a negotiation alone cannot.
The aim is an outcome everyone can live with, and a family that is still a family afterwards.
one paragraph in the mediator's own voice about this kind of matter — experience, and how a session is run.
Common questions
What people ask before they call.
How do we start?
One person gets in touch. You do not need the other party's agreement to make the first call — part of what we do is help bring the other side to the table.
What if one family member refuses?
Mediation only works with people who choose to be there, but a refusal at the start is common and often changes once the invitation comes from someone neutral.
Does everyone have to be in the same room?
Joint sessions, separate conversations, or a mix — and whether family members in other states can join remotely.
How long does it take?
Typical number of sessions for this kind of matter, and how long each runs.
Is it confidential?
What is said in mediation stays in mediation. Nothing is shared outside the process unless the participants agree to share it.
Who pays?
Who usually pays, and whether costs are split.
How much does it cost?
Hourly, per session, or per matter? A range, or "quoted after the first conversation" if fees vary.
Can we do this remotely?
Virtual, in person at the Bowie office, or both — and whether the parties need to be in the same room.