Need help with a roommate quarrel, a neighbour blaring music during exams or maybe a debt that you can't pay off in time?

The Dispute Resolution Centre (DRC) at University of Western Ontario can help with all those issues and many more. The DRC offers free mediation services to the London-Middlesex community, including Fanshawe College.

"Our goal is to provide a forum for conflict resolution outside of litigation through formal courts or tribunals, and to empower individuals to find unique and meaningful solutions to their disputes," explained Scott Sobering, the Student Coordinator at the DRC at UWO's Faculty of Law.

In a dispute, both parties have to agree to use the services of the DRC in order for the process to advance. The DRC helps clients avoid the costs of court and if there was a pre-existing relationship, it helps the parties preserve their relationship despite the dispute.

There are 14 students involved in the DRC, eight of whom take a class once a week to advance their skills as mediators. They contact both parties and determine whether they are under agreement to use the services and provide assistance with an experienced negotiator. The rest of the students take a weekly course in negotiation and volunteer at Community Legal Services.

In addition to the 14 student mediators, there is an articling student who has a Professional Certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution with a specialization in negotiation and mediation. This student teaches negotiation courses alongside a lawyer and oversees the processes of the DRC.

Finally, supervising lawyers are involved with every aspect of the DRC: training, planning and the execution of all activities.

Many issues won't be litigated usually because of cost and time, therefore, Sobering said, they deal a lot with "different types of disputes between roommates, tenants and their landlords, neighbours, housing cooperatives, as well as issues relating to contract breaches, used car purchases, outstanding loans from 'pay-day loans,'" among many others.

The process of solving a dispute can take anywhere from three to 12 hours following the initial premediation phase. "In mediation, the parties control the process, so they decide what works best for them and how much time it will take to do it. The mediators help the parties fashion a solution that works for them," said Sobering.

Through the process of mediation, both parties are asked to tell their story, followed by a series of questions by the co-mediators to clarify the issues. Parties then brainstorm ways of solving the problem where the mediators guide the participants through the process of reality-checking the options. Both parties sign a Mediated Agreement before they leave once they have agreed on a solution.

The DRC has a success rate of approximately 95 per cent.

Sobering says mediation is a long-term benefit. "Mediation can serve to preserve relationships, which can be of immeasurable benefit to the parties. Mediation can provide a benefit that extends into the future, well beyond the specific issues that are the subject of their current dispute," he said.

More information can be found at: tinyurl.com/UWO-DRC.