New Niche Market For ADR Professionals?
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From Jeff Thompson's Enjoy Mediation Blog August 2009 |
For those not sure if the foreclosure mediation programs popping in numerous states is a market for mediators to make some income, think again. All one has to do is look at Nevada, which has the highest foreclosure rate in the nation [from a recent WSJ article here]. With this new niche for mediators, it also creates a new market for conflict specialists/strategists/coaches/consultants. Reading further into the article one finds out just how much a specialist charges:
Michael Joe, an attorney and foreclosure specialist for the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, said he has seen attorneys advertise their services for $1,500 to $3,500 to help homeowners in mediation. It’s piggybacking on attorneys’ ads to help homeowners modify loans, he said.
What the above quote is referring to is how attorneys, not mediators or conflict specialists, have seen the light of this new niche field and are seizing the opportunity.
The article has this to add:
“What they are doing is trolling the county recorder’s site to see who is getting foreclosed upon and mailing them,” Joe said. “It is preying upon the weak and the desperate.”
Joe said homeowners don’t need attorney representation because the mediators are supposed to be knowledgeable, fair and unbiased. There are programs for homeowners to learn how to represent themselves in mediation and understand how the process works, he said.
With this new field, there are always the scammers and it should be no surprise there are many taking advantage of people. Since these foreclosure programs are new, there are many questions arising such as what is the exact role these ‘assistants’ play?
From ReviewJournal.com:
“The scams have been very rampant."
Unlicensed consultants often charged up-front fees and then provided no assistance to desperate homeowners facing foreclosure.
Read the rest of the article [here]
Are mediators and other conflict resolvers also seeing this an a prime opportunity to get in on the action and offer their services? I mentioned [here] about the divide between attorney-mediators and non-attorney mediators, and this can be another example of it.
Biography
Jeff Thompson is a certified international mediator. He is also a law enforcement detective in New York. His law enforcement role include a being a communication and conflict specialist, interfaith dialogue, developing and implementing community engagement programs, and designing training workshops.
Jeff is currently a PhD candidate researching nonverbal communication and mediation at Griffith University Law School. He also received his MS in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution from the Creighton University School of Law. Jeff has presented and trained on the topic of conflict, mediation, communication and nonverbal communication internationally and has been published and featured with numerous international media organizations. He currently writes also at PsychologyToday.com.
(All posts by Jeff Thompson represent his personal reflections and opinions as a mediator and not that of any organization.)
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