ASM PLUS Blog
Civil mediation and investigation from ASM Plus – Kafka, badly drafted legislation and how mediation and investigation make sense of it all
Contact us In my mid-teens, I was fascinated by “The Trial” by Franz Kafka and became a lifelong devotee. I came to realise that this very insightful book has relevance beyond its very bizarre plot. I have also come to appreciate how relevant Kafka’s work is to...
Civil mediation from ASM Plus – what do ASM Plus mediators mean by “facilitation”?
Contact us Blogs such as those published by ASM Plus invariably and quite rightly describe mediation as timely and cost effective. Such pieces also refer to the facilitative nature of mediation but what do we as mediators mean by facilitation? All sorts of people...
ASM Plus’s domestic and neighbour dispute and reconciliation service – an account of a 90-minute facilitated meeting by our Director, Paul Sandford, which shows just how effective a little talking and listening can be.
Contact us The case outlined below is one in which I facilitated an online discussion in March 2020, two weeks or so after the UK’s first lockdown started. The parties to the discussion were a disabled householder, Thomas, and James who was both his lodger and...
Family mediation from ASM Plus – a few thoughts on the transcript of the address given by the Hon. Mr. Justice MacDonald at the Four Jurisdictions Family Law Conference that took place in 2020. (1)
Contact us There can be little doubt that, not least in the United Kingdom, family mediation is a very effective medium for resolving disputes that arise as a result of marriage and relationship break and family disputes. There are people who when finding themselves...
Mediation and the art of eastern fusion cookery – A consideration of the views of the celebrated New York chef and restauranteur, David Chang on the subject of salt.
Contact us I might alternatively have entitled this blog “to what extent do ASM Plus mediators keep people happy?” I thought that a light hearted end of year piece identifying what a thoughtful, accomplished restauranteur and an ASM Plus mediator have in common would...
49 United States Governmental Institutions -v– Facebook or alternatively Mediation -v- the Litigation Monolith
Contact us This blog is not primarily intended to be a legal analysis of US antitrust law or the rights and wrongs of the Facebook related court actions highlighted below. Rather, it considers the logistics of the attendant exercise and the financial and...
Family mediation and Brexit – a mediator’s thoughts
Contact us It is well known that process of relationship breakup is one of the most emotionally challenging and stressful times in anyone’s life, and it may just be getting even more challenging. If you are contemplating divorce or in the process of divorcing and you...
Stamp duty holiday, conditional conveyancing contracts and mediation
Contact us By Paul Sandford and Russ Shackleton of ASM Plus It is well known that moving home can be one of the most emotionally challenging and stressful times in anyone’s life, and it may be just getting even more challenging. If you are in the process of purchasing...
Civil mediation from ASM Plus – “How to fix America” in one not necessarily easy lesson
Contact us Civil mediation from ASM Plus - “How to fix America” in one not necessarily easy lesson by Paul Sandford, director, ASM Plus. In the New York Times briefing published on 4th December I noted an article entitled “How to fix America” (1) The article comprises...
Family Mediation – Thinking outside the Box – What Does It Mean and Why Is Albert Einstein Relevant to Family Disputes?
Contact us Albert Einstein famously said, “You can’t solve problems using the same thinking we used when we created them” and “If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got”. How often do you hear of people claiming to think outside the...