Our Services
Divorce Mediation
Mediation is able to provide a private, non-adversarial, reverent platform for divorcing parties to settle all aspects of their divorce dispute including division of property, financial consequences and arrangements regarding children.
Understanding that families experience divorce as one of the greatest life traumas, the restorative justice-informed mediated divorce can position parties to hold necessary tough conversations in respectful and non harmful ways and help parties to reformulate their families for effective co-operative parenting beyond divorce, where minor children are involved.
These processes are adaptable and resilient and can be conducted online via private webinar platforms.
Commercial Mediation and Arbitration
Commercial mediation taught and practiced from the perspective of restorative justice holds many gains for parties amidst commercial conflict including the ability to have the toughest conversations in the most respectful of terms which may help to bridge impossible divides. Parties save time, money and overall well-being has a better shot of preservation.
Arbitration is taught and practiced by us through a restorative lens, so whilst it is an adjudicate processes we teach our arbitrators inquisitorial styles and restorative outcomes where possible. We understand that the high point of justice is that everyone has what they need and this is how we practice and teach all ADR methods.
Labour and Employment Mediation and Arbitration
South Africa has one of the best examples of the application of ADR in Labour and Workplace in disputes via the CCMA. At ADR Network South Africa, we go a little further and we teach and practice specifically restorative responses in labour and workplace mediation and arbitration.
This does not always mean that the relationship is reconciled but it does mean there are far less expulsions and exclusions and/or other punitive outcomes and protracted labour disputes that may affect the whole of the business or the whole of the individual lives involved.
Chairing of Dismissal
This is a commonly used form of ADR in which someone is appointed to adjudicate on charges brought against an employee.
We offer training in the skills required to chair such processes as well as the skills needed to identify potential to mediate outcomes and introduce restorative results. This may help prevent some of the social problems associated with discipline-related suspensions and exclusions from the workplace that may serve to perpetuate destructive cycles.
Medical Negligence Mediation and Arbitration
Medical Negligence or medical injury claims are widespread and are generally dealt with through litigious processes which can compound the trauma for the victim and those around them in addition to making medical professionals fearful and defensive in their practices.
Restorative justice-informed approaches to these matters via mediation and/ or arbitration can offer more efficient, less traumatic and economically debilitating solutions and ones that carry far greater reparative outcomes.
Chairing of High Conflict Board Meetings, Bodies Corporate Meetings, AGMs and Dialogue Processes
Chairing of High Conflict Board Meetings, Bodies Corporate Meetings, AGMs and Dialogue Processes:
Appointing a highly skilled mediator, especially with depth of understanding in restorative justice, can save time, money and business, community and institutional relationships.
Many of us resent meetings precisely because we doubt their efficacy. A mediator can help set and accomplish goals for meetings and can lead the way in having the toughest of discussions in deeply respectful terms.
Restorative Justice in Schools, Workplaces and Criminal Matters
ADR Network South Africa has taught, practiced and promoted the shift from punitive thinking to restorative thinking across society for over a decade. We teach, practice and promote these methods in various areas notably schools, workplaces and criminal matters. Through victim centric restorative processes, we have aided victims to healing, restoration and protection in sexual violence, personal injury, medical injury and hate crimes. Through these processes many perpetrators have been restored in ways vital for the overall wellbeing of society.
Property and Land Disputes
Restorative justice-informed mediation and arbitration can bring resolution to land and property disputes in restorative ways aimed at ensuring that each party comes away with what they need in the circumstances. This kind of dispute can be life disrupting, life altering and life suspending. Highly skilled and qualified restorativists can help to ensure true justice and fairness in less adversarial, less cumbersome and less expensive processes. We teach, practice and advocate for these methods of dispute resolution.
Victim-centric and Child-centric Restorative Justice
Victim-centric and child-centric Restorative Justice
This approach to achieving justice where the victim is centred and an inquisitive process is conducted into how to repair the harm inflicted upon him, her or them in the form of reparations, restorative measures and arrangements for their protection.
In criminal justice the victim is merely a witness to the process, which is not for his, her or their restoration or reparation but is a process designed to establish facts and determine whether and how and accused should be punished. In the process, the victim is generally revictimized through attempts to robustly and often brutally challenge his, her or their credibility.
A restorative process starts with ‘we believe you’ whereas criminal justice starts with ‘why should we believe you’ or ‘how can we possibly believe you’.
Victim-Centric Restorative justice offers the victim the potential for respect, reparation, emotional discharge in a protected environment and potential for participation at an appropriate level and taking the individual victim’s needs into account.
Preparation of Witness Statements and Watching Briefs on behalf of Victims in Criminal Processes
Victim centric restorative justice processes centre around the needs and interests of victims. Where a victim is a witness in criminal proceedings we can aid them by assisting in taking their statements through a trauma informed process and performing watching briefs through the process to guard their rights and wellbeing.
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