Lakeland, Florida
Mediation Attorneys Serving Lakeland, Polk County
Supreme Court certified mediation for Florida family, civil, and commercial disputes, offered by David H. Walkowiak as a neutral or as counsel alongside your existing attorney. Some Lakeland civil and family matters reach David as the court-appointed or agreed neutral, since he is Supreme Court certified in both civil and family mediation. Others reach the firm as counsel for one side, with mediation being the part of the case where something actually gets decided.
How we approach mediation matters in Lakeland
Lakeland is about forty-five minutes east of our Lutz office on I-4. That is close enough that a share of Lakeland engagements include an in person meeting when a client prefers one, and Lakeland counsel occasionally refer civil mediation matters to David in person. David Walkowiak is board certified by The Florida Bar in Real Estate Law. Gwen Walkowiak drafts Florida estate plans for Lakeland families under the statewide Florida framework that applies the same in Polk as anywhere else.
Polk County courts and local practice notes
Polk courts order mediation in most civil and family matters. Zoom sessions with a Supreme Court certified neutral are the standard option for disputes across Lakeland and Winter Haven.
Directions from Lakeland: From Lakeland, the drive to our Lutz office runs about forty-five minutes west on I-4 to I-75 north to SR-54 west. Many Lakeland engagements are handled remotely, but in person meetings are straightforward when a client prefers one. Phone and Zoom consultations open most matters. Closings coordinate with the Lakeland area title company by wire and e-signing. Secure portal and video calls cover the balance.
About our mediation practice
Mediation works because it puts the outcome back in the hands of the people who have to live with it. A judge decides a case based on evidence and law. A mediator helps the parties decide a case based on what they actually need. For a lot of disputes, especially family disputes and business disputes where the relationship has to continue, that is a materially better result.
David Walkowiak, certified mediator
David holds two separate certifications from the Supreme Court of Florida: Circuit Civil Mediator and Family Law Mediator. These certifications require training, observation, and examination beyond a law license. After 25 years of litigating civil, real estate, and family matters, David serves as a neutral in disputes he understands from both sides of the table.
How mediation actually works
Both parties meet at the mediator’s office or a conference room, usually with their attorneys. The mediator explains the process. Everything said in mediation is confidential and cannot be used at trial. The parties make opening statements. Then the mediator separates them into different rooms and moves between them carrying offers, testing positions, and proposing solutions. No one is forced to agree to anything. The mediator’s only leverage is the parties’ own interest in a predictable outcome and a lower legal bill than trial would produce.
When the parties reach an agreement, it is written up and signed on the spot. If the mediation is court-ordered, the agreement is submitted to the judge. If no agreement is reached, the case continues where it was. Nothing is lost.
What mediation is good for
- Family matters. Divorce, custody, visitation, support, property division.
- Business disputes. Partnership breakups, contract disagreements, non-compete enforcement.
- Real estate. Boundary disputes, HOA conflicts, landlord-tenant matters.
- Civil litigation. Personal injury settlements, construction defects, employment claims.
- Probate and estate disputes. Will contests, trust beneficiary disagreements, accounting disputes.
Benefits over a courtroom
Mediation is faster. Mediation is cheaper. Mediation is confidential. There is no public record, no trial transcript, and no press coverage. Mediation preserves relationships that litigation destroys. And, most importantly, the parties retain control over the outcome rather than handing it to a judge or jury.
Common questions
Frequently asked about mediation in Lakeland
Do Lakeland courts order mediation?
Polk County family and civil courts order mediation in most contested matters, and mediating early is usually cheaper than mediating on the courthouse steps. David is Supreme Court certified as a civil and family mediator.
What is the difference between a mediator and a judge?
A mediator does not decide anything. The mediator's job is to help the parties reach their own agreement. A judge imposes an outcome. That distinction is the entire point of mediation. You stay in control of the result.
Is mediation binding?
The mediation process itself is not binding. But if the parties reach an agreement in mediation and sign it, that agreement is a binding contract. Court-ordered mediation agreements are typically submitted to the judge for entry as a court order.
What credentials does a certified mediator have?
David H. Walkowiak is certified by the Supreme Court of Florida as both a Circuit Civil Mediator and a Family Law Mediator. These are two separate certifications that each require training, observation, and examination.
What are the possible outcomes of mediation?
There are three outcomes. Full agreement on all issues, which is submitted to the court for approval. Partial agreement, with the remaining issues decided by the court. Or no agreement, in which case the matter continues on its existing track. No party is ever forced to settle.
How much does mediation cost compared to trial?
Mediation is almost always dramatically cheaper than a contested trial. A half-day mediation can resolve a case that would otherwise take months or years of discovery, motion practice, and trial time, with correspondingly higher attorney fees.
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