For this month's interview, a specialist on mediation from Germany tells us all about how she became interested in this alternative to court and how she implements it in her work.
Can you tell us more about your firm?
We are a mid-sized lawfirm located in Braunschweig, in the centre of Germany. We have seven lawyers and around twenty employees. We work for both private people and firms, each of them representing approximately half of our clients. We are specialised in labour law, social law, banking and capital, and family law. This is a very diverse lawfirm and for each theme we have at least one specialist. My own speciality is mediation.
Why did you become a specialist in mediation?
I became a lawyer because of my sense of justice, I wanted to bring more justice to people. I am comfortable in our lawfirm where we work not for the money but for more fairness. And in mediation, fairness is the key. Mediation is about finding solutions that will be fair for all the parties involved. Everybody can give their opinion and will be included in the final solution; this is why I like it.
How were you first introduced to mediation?
Ten years ago, when I was already a lawyer, I first witnessed it. I found it different from my work in court, because court decisions are fair to the law but not necessarily to all individuals involved. My trainer, who was a lawyer, told me mediation was the right thing for me. And he was right!
What is your best advice to lawyers today?
You must find out what your client really wants. Too many lawyers end up fighting for things that are not what the client really expects. Sometimes, I hear in court the client on the other side saying, 'If I had known this, I would have wanted something else!' It is important to determine first what the client really wants and then decide what to do to get it. Sometimes, clients will also want something that they cannot get, which is why I recommend mediation, as it is usually a more cost-efficient way to find a proper solution for them.
