Disputing parties who wish to resolve a conflict outside of traditional litigation have a number of options to consider. These options fall under the umbrella term “alternative dispute resolution” (ADR) and can include counseling, negotiation, conciliation, and arbitration. Among the more cost-effective and time-saving ADR processes is mediation.

 

In a mediation, the parties and their respective counsel inhabit separate meeting rooms, whether they be physical rooms in an office building or virtual rooms in an online proceeding. The mediator, as a neutral third-party, moves between the parties to control the process and facilitate a successful outcome. Mediators keep the parties focused on their goals, allowing them to generate options and develop solutions that can best meet their individual needs.

 

Parties will often enter into mediation voluntarily, as a means of resolving issues without the time and expense of a trial. On occasion, a court will order parties to attend a mediation before a trial can be scheduled. 

 

If the parties and their counsel resolve their issues at the end of a mediation, the mediator will assist in creating a Mediated Settlement Agreement, which both sides can sign. This serves as a binding contract between the parties. 

 

Since retiring from the district court bench in 2023, Bill Henry has handled more than 60 meditations for clients in at least a dozen different Texas counties. These cases covered a range of legal issues, including child custody, probate, divorce, easements and partitions, HOA and neighbor disputes, property damage settlements, and trusts. 

 

The majority of mediations with Judge Henry are virtual, using the Zoom platform. Often, the parties and their counsel will gather in the same office to participate in the online mediation, but this is not required. Judge Henry is also available for in-person mediations, within a reasonable distance of Hays County. A half-day mediation typically takes three to four hours, while a full-day mediation may require six to eight hours. 

 

In addition to his years of experience on the bench and in private practice, Judge Henry is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in both Civil Trial Law and Family Law. He is additionally a Certified Mediator (National Judicial College) and has completed the Advanced Mediation Course of the Mediators and Arbitrators of America. In short, Judge Henry has the training, the experience, and the temperament to serve clients effectively and help them bring resolution to complex legal disputes.