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Contact Rick Wacker

Wacker Mediation LLC provides both civil and domestic relations mediation services to individuals and businesses in central Indiana, primarily in the Indianapolis area and surrounding counties. My practice includes domestic relations mediation for couples facing divorce (dissolution of marriage) and persons who have already divorced that are having post-dissolution conflicts. Mediation services for other family law issues such as probate, adoption, paternity, and eldercare controversies are also available, as is transformative mediation, which is often used in employer/employee disputes where other means of settling disputes often fail. I am on the Registry of the Indiana Supreme Court for both domestic relations and civil mediations. Civil mediations can include personal injury and wrongful death, employment issues, insurance disputes, motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, and other types of civil litigation. My 35 years as an Indiana attorney have given me the necessary experience to help you find a way to resolve your problems.

Before becoming a mediator, I spent almost 30 years in a corporate law department and retired from American United Life Insurance Company as their Associate General Counsel. My areas of expertise were federal securities law, broker-dealer compliance, contract law and litigation management. I also served as the Secretary to the Board of Directors of OneAmerica Funds, Inc. (a mutual fund manager) where I was responsible for fund compliance with federal and state securities laws. While employed with AUL, I was registered with the NASD and held a Series 7 General Securities Registration and NASD Series 24 General Securities Principal Registration. I am a member of the Dispute Resolution Section of the American Bar Association and the ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) Section of the Indiana State Bar Association. I am a Past President of the Indiana Association of Mediators and currently serve as their Treasurer, Membership Coordinator, and as a Director of the Association.

My practice is limited solely to mediation. I took my first mediation training in 1998 and subsequently took the Civil Mediation training in 2003. In 2004, I took the Family (Domestic Relations) training. Since that time, I have taken numerous advanced training classes with leaders in the field of mediation including Robert Benjamin (2008), James Melamed (2010), and Forrest "Woody" Mosten (2011). I have attended an Advanced Family Mediation Issues Seminar at Northwestern University (2007) and serve as an Assistant Trainer for new mediators in various mediation training classes. Since my practice is limited to mediation, I feel that I can focus in on the pertinent issues without trying to be an advocate for either of the parties (the job of your lawyer).

Juris Doctor - Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis, Indiana Bachelor of Arts - Indiana University - Bloomington, Indiana

My approach is “facilitative” which allows the parties to fashion their own solution – one that best addresses their own unique needs, desires, and the circumstances of the dispute. My role is to act as a neutral third-party and to use various mediation techniques and skills to bring them to a point where compromise is possible. I will not reveal or impose my personal view on the merits of a dispute or try to obtain a solution that I may believe to be “fair” - I believe that “fair” is for the parties to decide. This is distinctly different from a mediator who uses the “directive” approach. That type of mediator believes that their role is to push for a settlement and this approach often requires revealing their own views on the relative merits of a case and/or guiding the parties to a certain resolution.

An hourly rate of $150.00 is charged for Domestic Relations mediation and an hourly rate of $195.00 is charged for Civil Mediation. This includes preparation time, time at the mediation session(s), and time spent following mediation. Prior to and during a mediation session, this may include the preparation of documents for the parties’ signatures, conversations with the parties or their counsel, and review of documents provided by the parties. Following a mediation, time can be spent with the parties or their counsel, drafting agreements for review by counsel, and preparing motions, reports, or correspondence to the Court. A minimum charge of 1/4 hour is billed for phone calls or correspondence with the parties and after the first 15 minutes, time will be rounded, up or down, to the nearest 1/4 hour. Payment is due at the end of each mediation session. A one-time, non-refundable administrative Fee of $100 is charged for the time spent setting up the mediation file, distributing initial documents, scheduling sessions, and for secretarial assistance, office overhead, and performing a conflict of interests review. This charge is not refundable, even if a mediation session is not held. A minimum charge of $300 (2 hours at the hourly rate) will be billed for a Domestic Relations mediation session, even if the mediation ends or is terminated prior to the end of the 2-hour period. A minimum charge of $585 (3 hours at the hourly rate) will be billed for a Civil mediation session, even if the mediation ends or is terminated prior to the end of the 3-hour period.

Income-Based Mediation Rates: For persons who may not have the means to obtain a mediator’s services, discounted mediation services are available based on a client’s income. Generally, the rates are based on the Poverty Guidelines (for a family of four) updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Income-based rates are 50% of the normal fee for those earning less than the federal minimum and increase gradually to the normal hourly rate at twice the federal minimum level. The income levels used for calculating reduced rates will be adjusted whenever the federal levels are changed.