By accessing or using the website located at www.atlantadispute.com (the "Site"), submitting an inquiry, scheduling a session, making a payment, or participating in any proceeding administered by Atlanta Dispute Resolution, you agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference.
If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Site or our services. These Terms apply to all visitors, users, parties, attorneys, and other persons who access or use the Site or participate in ADR proceedings.
Atlanta Dispute Resolution ("ADR," "we," "us," or "our") is a professional mediation and arbitration firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. We provide neutral, confidential dispute resolution services to parties involved in civil, commercial, family, employment, and real estate disputes throughout Georgia and the Southeast.
Atlanta Dispute Resolution is a private ADR provider. Our mediators and arbitrators are independent professionals who adhere to the ethical standards of the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution (GODR), the Georgia Academy of Mediators and Arbitrators, and applicable rules of the Georgia Supreme Court for registered mediators.
Atlanta Dispute Resolution is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Participation in our services does not create an attorney-client relationship. Parties are encouraged to consult independent legal counsel before, during, and after any ADR proceeding.
You may use the Site solely for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You agree not to use the Site:
You may link to our Site's homepage provided you do so in a way that is fair and legal, does not damage our reputation or take advantage of it, and does not suggest any form of association, approval, or endorsement by Atlanta Dispute Resolution where none exists. We reserve the right to withdraw linking permission at any time without notice.
We do not guarantee that the Site will always be available or uninterrupted. We may suspend, withdraw, or restrict availability of the Site for operational or business reasons at any time without notice.
Engagement of Atlanta Dispute Resolution's mediation or arbitration services is governed by a separate Agreement to Mediate or Agreement to Arbitrate, which will be provided to parties prior to any proceeding. That agreement sets forth:
In the event of a conflict between these Terms and a signed Agreement to Mediate or Arbitrate, the signed agreement controls with respect to the specific proceeding.
Atlanta Dispute Resolution requires all affiliated neutrals to adhere to the following core professional conduct standards, consistent with national and Georgia ADR ethics frameworks:
A mediator shall recognize that mediation is based on the principle of self-determination by the parties. The mediator's role is to facilitate communication and negotiation, not to impose solutions. The mediator shall not coerce or manipulate any party into reaching a settlement.
A neutral shall maintain impartiality toward all participants. Impartiality means freedom from favoritism, bias, or prejudice. A neutral shall withdraw from a proceeding if they cannot remain impartial or if continued service would create the appearance of partiality. (See Section 6 for full Neutrality standards.)
Before accepting an engagement, a neutral shall disclose all actual or reasonably apparent conflicts of interest. Following disclosure, the neutral shall decline the engagement unless all parties consent in writing to proceed. Conflicts include prior representation of a party, financial interest in the outcome, or personal relationships that could reasonably affect neutrality.
A neutral shall accept only engagements for which they have the necessary knowledge, skill, and experience. A neutral shall maintain professional competency through continuing education and shall comply with all applicable GODR certification and registration requirements.
A neutral shall maintain the confidentiality of all information obtained in a mediation proceeding as set forth in these Terms (Section 7), the parties' Agreement to Mediate, and applicable Georgia law. This obligation is indefinite and survives the conclusion of the proceeding.
A neutral shall conduct all proceedings in a manner that promotes diligence, timeliness, safety, and respect for all participants. The neutral shall ensure each party has a reasonable opportunity to participate and be heard.
Atlanta Dispute Resolution is committed to the fundamental principle that all mediators and arbitrators serving under our administration are neutral third parties. No neutral affiliated with Atlanta Dispute Resolution shall:
Any party who has a good-faith concern about a neutral's impartiality may raise the issue with Atlanta Dispute Resolution's administrative staff. We will address such concerns promptly and, where appropriate, arrange for a replacement neutral.
All communications, negotiations, statements, and documents exchanged or created in connection with a mediation or arbitration proceeding administered by Atlanta Dispute Resolution are confidential. This includes oral statements, written materials, proposals, offers, and the terms of any settlement reached.
Confidentiality obligations do not expire upon the conclusion of the proceeding. All participants — including parties, attorneys, mediators, arbitrators, and observers — are bound indefinitely by their obligation not to disclose mediation communications.
Confidentiality may be overridden only in the following circumstances, consistent with Georgia law:
No participant may record any portion of a mediation or arbitration proceeding — whether audio, video, or otherwise — without the prior written consent of all parties and the presiding neutral. Unauthorized recording constitutes a material breach of these Terms and the Agreement to Mediate.
Fees for Atlanta Dispute Resolution's services are set forth in the applicable fee schedule provided at the time of engagement. The following general payment terms apply:
Atlanta Dispute Resolution's online payment portal is powered by Stripe, Inc. By using the payment portal, you additionally agree to Stripe's Terms of Service and Stripe's Privacy Policy.
To cancel or reschedule a session without penalty, parties must provide notice to Atlanta Dispute Resolution at least 48 business hours in advance of the scheduled start time. Cancellations or reschedules with less than 48 hours' notice may result in a cancellation fee equal to up to two hours of the applicable session rate per mediator.
Sessions may be cancelled by Atlanta Dispute Resolution without penalty in the event of mediator illness, emergency, or other circumstances beyond our reasonable control. In such cases, Atlanta Dispute Resolution will make reasonable efforts to reschedule promptly or assign an alternative neutral acceptable to all parties.
The Site and its entire contents, features, and functionality — including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, photographs, and software — are owned by Atlanta Dispute Resolution or its content suppliers and are protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.
You may print or download materials from the Site for your personal, non-commercial use only, provided you do not modify them and you retain all copyright and proprietary notices. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, or commercially exploit any content from the Site without prior written permission from Atlanta Dispute Resolution.
The Atlanta Dispute Resolution name, logo, and related marks are trademarks of Atlanta Dispute Resolution. Nothing in these Terms grants any license to use our trademarks without express written permission.
The Site may contain links to third-party websites including, without limitation, Stripe, LinkedIn, the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, and videoconference providers. These links are provided for your convenience only. Atlanta Dispute Resolution has no control over the content of those sites and accepts no responsibility for them or for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of them.
The inclusion of a link on our Site does not imply endorsement of the linked website by Atlanta Dispute Resolution. If you link to our Site from a third-party site, we have no responsibility or liability for, and make no representations as to, the content of such third-party site.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Atlanta Dispute Resolution disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement with respect to this Site and its contents.
Atlanta Dispute Resolution does not warrant that: (a) the Site will be uninterrupted or error-free; (b) defects will be corrected; (c) the Site or its servers are free of viruses or other harmful components; or (d) the results of using the Site will meet your requirements.
Atlanta Dispute Resolution does not provide legal advice. Nothing on this Site constitutes legal advice, and no information provided by our mediators or staff during the facilitation process constitutes legal advice. All parties are strongly encouraged to obtain independent legal counsel.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Atlanta Dispute Resolution and its owners, members, employees, mediators, arbitrators, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, loss of data, or loss of goodwill, arising out of or in connection with: (a) your use of or inability to use the Site; (b) any proceeding administered by Atlanta Dispute Resolution; or (c) any settlement reached or not reached in a proceeding.
Atlanta Dispute Resolution's total liability for any claim arising from or related to these Terms or our services shall not exceed the fees paid by the claiming party to Atlanta Dispute Resolution for the specific proceeding giving rise to the claim.
Nothing in these Terms limits Atlanta Dispute Resolution's liability for fraud, willful misconduct, or any liability that cannot be excluded under Georgia law.
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Atlanta Dispute Resolution and its owners, members, employees, mediators, arbitrators, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to:
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Georgia, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms, or the breach thereof, that is not resolved through informal negotiation shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Fulton County, Georgia.
Disputes regarding the conduct of a mediation or arbitration proceeding that are not resolved by the parties shall be referred to Atlanta Dispute Resolution's administrative team for resolution in the first instance. The parties agree that any proceeding to enforce these Terms shall be conducted on an individual basis and not as part of a class, collective, or representative action.
Atlanta Dispute Resolution reserves the right to revise and update these Terms at any time at our sole discretion. All changes are effective immediately upon posting to the Site. Your continued use of the Site following the posting of revised Terms means that you accept and agree to the changes. You are expected to check this page periodically so you are aware of any changes, as they are binding on you.
If we make material changes to these Terms, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we may also provide notice by email to parties who have provided contact information in connection with a proceeding.
If you have questions about these Terms & Conditions, please contact Atlanta Dispute Resolution:
