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Articles Published by Lisa Derr at Mediate.com

Lisa Derr has mediated family law and workplace issues for over 25 years. She is a past President of the Wisconsin Association of Mediators and president-elect of the Wisconsin Dispute Resolution Section. As an online mediator, Lisa has assisted parties in different states to find a settlement without the expense and time of travel for in-person sessions.

Lisa has worked as a family law attorney for 32 years. With decades of experience and a keen intuition, she has always been sensitive to clients concerns and feelings as they proceed through the mediation process.

Lisa has worked in a private mediation practice (Derr & Villarreal, Attorneys and Mediators) since 1995. For six years (2002 - 2007), Lisa also served as one of four Washington County family court mediators handling mediations for both married and unmarried couples who needed mediation for placement issues. Lisa's practice includes all facets of family law including placement, child support and all other financial issues. She has helped couples who have few assets as well as couples with almost 50 million dollars in assets. Lisa has assisted people in other areas including boundary disputes, homeowner's insurance claims, and workplace disputes.

J.D. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. May 1987. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. August 1984, BA, Psychology

Mediation is my life's career choice because of my firm belief in the right to self-determination. It is critical that parties perceive that their mediator is neutral. I aspire to neutrality by observing and listening to each person. Because the best decisions are well-informed, our process assembles information for people to help them make the right settlement for them. I encourage couples to seek legal counsel. Most important, I help people exchange information to help them know as much as possible. Over the years, I've become less concerned about outcomes and procedures and more attentive and focused with each person. This allows them to be more focused with each other.

We charge $8,000 as a flat fee for family law (divorce) mediation which generally takes place over four meetings. People can pay upfront or on a "pay-as-you-go" basis. For post-judgment or nonfamily mediations, we generally request $800 ($200 per person per hour) for two hours initially. Thereafter, the parties decide to continue and can pay as they continue mediation.