Los Angeles Mediation Services — Business, Family & Employment Disputes
Resolve your dispute without the courtroom.
Litigation takes years and drains resources. Mediation with Bench Mediators — an experienced Los Angeles mediator for business and contract disputes, divorce and family law, and workplace conflicts — settles most matters in weeks, privately and on terms you control.
Michelle C. Ross is a California and Texas attorney and former Administrative Law Judge who helps people and businesses resolve disputes quickly, privately, and without the stress of litigation.
Schedule a free consultationWhat We Handle
Mediation services for three kinds of disputes
If both sides are willing to talk, alternative dispute resolution can almost always get you to a settlement — with less time, less friction, and less stress than going to court in Los Angeles.
Business & Contract Dispute Mediation
Vendor and customer conflicts, partnership disagreements, contract disputes, and unpaid invoices. Settle without derailing your business — or your business relationships.
- Partnership breakups
- Contract & payment disputes
- Vendor and customer conflicts
Divorce & Family Law Mediation
Divorce, custody, support, and estate disagreements handled privately and respectfully. A calmer path that keeps decisions in your family's hands — not a judge's.
- Divorce & separation
- Custody & support
- Estate & probate disagreements
Employment & Workplace Mediation
Wrongful termination, discrimination, wage and severance disputes. Resolve sensitive workplace matters confidentially, before they become public lawsuits.
- Wrongful termination
- Wage & severance disputes
- Discrimination claims
How Mediation Works
Five straightforward steps from conflict to closure.
No court filings, no endless discovery, no drawn-out procedures. Here's exactly what happens when you mediate with Bench Mediators.
Free intro call
30 minutes, freeTell us what's going on in plain language. We'll explain whether mediation fits your situation, how it could work, and how fast it could move. No obligation, no legal jargon.
Both sides agree to mediate
Usually within a weekWe reach out to the other party and invite them to the table. Mediation is voluntary — but most people say yes once they understand it keeps everyone in control and out of court. Everyone signs a simple agreement to mediate.
Prep session
About an hour per sideYou meet with the mediator privately to share your side, your documents, and what a good outcome looks like for you. You'll know exactly what to expect before the main session.
Mediation session
Varies by matterEveryone meets by phone, video, or in person — together and in private breakout conversations — with the mediator guiding the negotiation. Many disputes settle in a single session. You stay in control; nothing is decided for you.
Written agreement
Same day or within daysWhen you reach a deal, it's put in writing as a binding settlement agreement. You leave with closure, certainty, and a result you chose — not one imposed on you.
Mediation vs. litigation
Same dispute, two very different paths.
Litigation timelines are typical for civil cases in California; sample mediation formats are shown below.
Michelle C. Ross
JD, SMU Dedman School of Law
BA, University of Southern California
Admitted in California & Texas
About Bench Mediators
A neutral who has sat in every seat at the table.
Bench Mediators was founded on a simple idea: most disputes don't need a courtroom — they need someone credible in the middle who both sides trust. Michelle Ross brings judicial experience, deep legal expertise, and real operating leadership to every mediation.
She's sat in the judge's chair
Former Administrative Law Judge for the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and an alternate member of the LA County Assessment Appeals Board — deciding real disputes between real people.
She's sat in the lawyer's chair
Decades as a restructuring attorney at national firms including White & Case and Klee, Tuchin, Bogdanoff & Stern, negotiating high-stakes settlements where millions and livelihoods were on the line.
She's sat in the business owner's chair
President & CEO of a sponsor-backed media company, where she renegotiated vendor and customer contracts and led a full operational turnaround. She understands what a dispute actually demands of a business.
Author of Flex: A Big Stretch Forward and 40+ published articles on business, restructuring, and dispute resolution.
How It Can Work
Sample mediations
Every dispute is different. Here are three ways mediation has actually moved from conflict to closure.
The quick back-and-forth
Two business partners disagree over a vendor invoice and a stalled contract. After a free intro call, the mediator speaks with each side by phone, identifies the real sticking point, and shuttles a few proposed terms back and forth. The dispute settles without a formal session.
The video mediation
A family-law matter needs resolution, but the spouses live in different counties and want privacy. They meet by secure video for a structured mediation session, with private breakout conversations and a written agreement at the end.
The conference-room session
A small company and a departing employee need to resolve a wrongful-termination and severance matter. Both sides, with counsel, meet in person in a neutral conference room. The mediator guides the conversation, addresses each concern, and drafts a settlement agreement everyone signs.
Book a Free Consultation
Tell us what's going on. We'll tell you honestly if mediation fits.
Fill out the form and we'll get back to you within one business day — or reach out directly, whichever you prefer.