Reading Paula Lawhons book has reminded me of the things I need to do in my own practice in order to provide my clients with the highest level of service. From the initial meeting with the parties to allow them to determine if she would be a good fit as their mediator, through the entry of judgment and follow up tasks needed to carry out the terms of the parties settlement, Lawhon and her team have systems in place that provide timelines, checklists, and procedures that result in the efficient completion of the case with no loose ends. Now that I provide mediation services myself, I have relentlessly appropriated the organizational techniques and case management procedures I have learned from Ms. Lawhon in my many cases with her. This book contains suggested verbiage of what the mediator may want to consider saying to parties or counsel during difficult times in mediation sessions. I have heard her say these things many times, always in a way that is balanced in being business-like in content, but also sensitive to parties who are often not at their best due to the stressors of going through a difficult divorce. I highly recommend Effectively Steering the Ship for anybody considering a career as a mediator, as well as experienced mediators seeking to improve the level of service they provide to their clients. Steven Stoltz, private judge and mediator In my many years as a divorce mediator and co-parenting professional, Ive found Paula Lawhon to excel in every area needed to be a stellar attorney-mediator. Not only does she know family law, she is conversant with real estate, tax law, financial details, and court requirements; perhaps most importantly, she is psychologically minded and astute. Luckily for professionals who can read this book, Ms. Lawhon has laid out her methods for all to learn and emulate. Stacey Shuster, PhD, psychologist-mediator Reframing the family law mediators role as a case manager is so duh that we might miss the revolutionary aspect of this vision. As family law becomes more complicated, the mediator can no longer sit by, passively or therapeutically, waiting for the parties to get to yes. I can attest that Ms. Lawhons ideas about the active role required by the mediator have been developed through hundreds of her successful mediations, and she draws a clear map here for others to follow. Marjorie A. Slabach, retired, Superior Court Commissioner
