Family Mediation
Melissa and Karen spent years working as Child Advocate Attorneys in northern Nevada. In that role, they represented children in child protection, minor guardianship, and custody cases. As mediators, Melissa and Karen have mediated hundreds of family law cases over the years, including custody and divorce mediation, child protection mediation, minor guardianship mediation, and appellate family law mediation for the Nevada Supreme Court. All of these experiences have given Melissa and Karen a unique perspective on family law cases that enables them to help parties focus on the best interests of the children. Since Melissa and Karen each have children of their own, they also understand first-hand the complex challenges faced by families navigating separation, co-parenting, and educational decisions.
Elder Care Mediation
As attorneys, Melissa and Karen served as Co-Directing Attorneys for the Senior Law Project in Reno, Nevada. In that capacity, Melissa and Karen represented seniors in landlord-tenant and nursing home disputes, estate planning, probate, administrative appeals, and other civil matters. Melissa and Karen often took a mediation-based approach to this position, regularly bringing the parties together to collaborate outside of the traditional courtroom environment. Melissa and Karen believe that mediation is the preferred option where senior care decisions are involved, as it allows family members to come together to develop a plan that meets the needs of the seniors in need of care while preserving ongoing family relationships.
Landlord Tenant Mediation
Melissa and Karen handled hundreds of landlord and tenant cases during their time at the Senior Law Project and Nevada Legal Services. Melissa also served as a Justice of the Peace Pro Tempore in Incline Village, Nevada, for ten years, where she heard and decided landlord-tenant cases. Melissa also provided landlord-tenant mediation services for the Nevada Eviction Mediation Panel during the COVID-19 pandemic and has mediated landlord tenant disputes for the Nevada Supreme Court's Settlement Judge Program. Because housing disputes often involve parties to an ongoing relationship, this area is particularly well suited for mediation.
Other Areas of Practice
Although the areas mentioned above are the areas that we most often mediate at Sierra Mediation, Melissa also mediates a variety of topics for the Nevada Supreme Court's Settlement Judge program. At Sierra Mediation, we are open to mediating other types of disputes as well. If you are interested in mediating a conflict not listed above, please contact us to discuss whether our services may be of assistance to you.