Business & Civil Mediation · Mostly on Zoom
A money or contract dispute, mediated.
You two decide.
$1,695 per person, flat. No hourly billing. Usually one prepared 3-hour session, with every decision the two of you make in a written summary. What’s included →
- A private call with each side before anything is scheduled.
- The numbers on one shared page, not two spreadsheets.
- The mediator doesn’t pick a side, or a number.
Your mediator is Ryan. Neither side is his client. Other side not ready? Start with a call on your own. You don’t have to agree to anything.
15 minutes, free. Or text Ryan: (763) 316‑8323
What $1,695 gets each side
- A private call with each side. Before anything is scheduled. Neither side hears the other’s call.
- The numbers, on one shared page. What was billed, what was paid, what each side says is owed. Plus the questions I write after both private calls.
- One three-hour session on Zoom. If a few things are still open at the end, a follow-up session is available.
- Your decisions, in a written summary. Either side can take it to their own attorney or accountant before anything is signed.
Not included: an attorney, accountant, or valuation professional if either side wants one, and any court costs if a case is already filed.
Book my free callOur three-part process
The Flannel Three-Part Process
Every mediation runs on it, in this order, on purpose. Nothing is scheduled until both sides have said yes.
Part 1 · The one-on-ones
15 to 45 minutes each · privateI meet with each side, separately.
You tell me what you think happened, what you think is owed, and what you’re worried the other side will say. Neither side hears the other’s call, and nobody walks in cold.
Part 2 · The numbers
One shared page · before you meetTwo spreadsheets become one page.
What was billed, what was paid, what’s disputed and why, on one page both sides can see. Then questions I write after both private calls, so nobody meets a hard question for the first time in the session.
Part 3 · The session
3 hours · Zoom · usually within a weekOne three-hour session, together.
You come in without an agreement. Whatever the two of you decide goes into a written summary.
Same three parts whether you were partners for twenty years or haven’t spoken since the last invoice.
The balance, and everything under it
Two partners who read the operating agreement two ways. A contractor and a customer with a deposit between them. A vendor with an invoice the customer says it doesn’t owe.
The balance
What each side says is owed, and how each got there: hours, invoices, credits, what was paid and when.
The work
What the engagement letter or contract said, what was delivered, and where the two accounts of it split.
Payment terms
A lump sum or a schedule, the dates, and what happens if a payment is late.
Partners
A buyout, a wind-down, who keeps which clients, and what the split is based on. More on partner disputes
Contracts
A missed deadline, a change order, a deposit, a clause the two sides read two different ways.
After
Whether the relationship continues, what each side says about the other, and who tells the staff or the clients.
We put the numbers on one shared page, live, so both sides are looking at the same figures. If a number has to come from a professional first, like a valuation, an audit, or a tax answer, you’ll hear that on your private call, before the session.
“Ryan did a great job throughout the mediation process. It took us two sessions to work through everything, but he kept the conversations productive and helped both sides stay focused on finding solutions.”
“He didn’t take sides or overcomplicate things, but instead helped keep both parties grounded and focused on decisions.”
“Ryan was incredibly thoughtful and took time to truly listen to both our perspectives. His approach made the entire process feel fair and constructive.”
Mediation, arbitration, or court
The difference that matters most is who decides.
Mediation
- Who decides
- The two of you
- Cost
- Flat fee at Flannel: $1,695 per person
- Best fit
- Two sides who want to work out the number privately, before a case or alongside one
Arbitration
- Who decides
- An arbitrator
- Cost
- Arbitrator fees, often billed by the hour, plus each side’s counsel
- Best fit
- Contracts that require it, or parties who want a private neutral to issue a decision
Litigation
- Who decides
- A judge or jury
- Cost
- Often hourly legal fees plus court costs
- Best fit
- Disputes that need formal discovery, a court order, or a judicial decision
The person on the other end of the Zoom
By the time two people who did business together call a mediator, each one is usually sure the other is misremembering, or worse. Often it’s two sets of records, two stories about them, and two brains doing what brains do under threat. Change the conditions in the room and people who couldn’t agree on a number start working one out.
Ryan is trained in facilitative, restorative, and transformative mediation, and his practice is built on conflict research and a lot of money conversations: buyouts, balances, who owes what. He represents neither side and gives neither side advice.
Business and civil mediation: straight answers
Something not here? Text Ryan.
How much does business and civil mediation cost?
$1,695 per person, flat, which is $3,390 when two people are at the table. There is no hourly billing.
That covers a private call with each side, the shared page of numbers and written prep, and one prepared three-hour session on Zoom. Attorney, accountant, or valuation fees are separate, if either side wants them. If more than two people need to be in the room, say so on the free call.
What kinds of disputes do you mediate?
Money and contract disputes between people who did business together. A professional and a client who disagree about what the work was worth. Partners deciding who buys out whom. A vendor and a customer reading the same contract two ways. An unpaid invoice that has turned into a standoff.
On the free call I’ll tell you honestly whether yours is a fit.
Who decides who’s right, or what the number is?
You do. Both of you. A mediator doesn’t rule on the dispute, find facts, or pick a number. I structure the conversation and make sure both sides are working from the same page. What you agree to, if you agree to anything, is yours.
That’s the difference from arbitration or court, where someone else decides.
What if the other side won’t agree to mediate?
That’s a common place to start. You can book the free call on your own to think through how to raise it.
You don’t agree to anything on the call, and nothing is scheduled until both sides have said yes.
Can we mediate if we already have lawyers, or a case is filed?
Yes. Mediation can happen before a lawsuit, alongside one, or instead of one. Either side’s attorney can review the written summary before anything is signed.
If a case is already filed, ask your attorney how mediation fits its deadlines.
Does the other side hear what I say on my private call?
No. Neither side hears the other’s call.
Is it online or in person?
Mostly online. Sessions are on Zoom, so the two sides can mediate from their own offices, including when they’re in different cities.
In-person options may be available on request, for an additional fee.
How do we prepare?
Gather what the dispute is about: the contract or engagement letter, the invoices, the payment records. You don’t need every answer before the session. The written prep tells each side exactly what to bring.
What happens after we reach agreement?
You leave with a written summary of the decisions you both made, on the issues you both agree on. It isn’t a court filing.
We help two people who don't agree on really tricky issues come to an agreement and put that agreement in writing. We don't draft court documents, we don't file, we don't do anything with the courts, and we don't give legal advice.
Either side can have an attorney review it, or turn it into a signed agreement, before anything is final.
Is a mediator the same as an attorney?
No. A mediator is a neutral who structures the conversation and helps two sides reach their own agreement. An attorney represents one side and gives legal advice. We provide mediation only and don’t represent either side.
Who will our mediator be?
Ryan McLaughlin, who founded Flannel People Mediation. He is a mediator and doesn’t practice law or give legal, tax, accounting, or valuation advice.
Keep reading
- Business mediationPartner disputes, family business succession, and founder exits.
- Co-founder mediationFor co-founders deciding what happens to the company, and to each other.
- Family business mediationWhen the family and the business are the same people.
- Contract mediationWhen two sides read the same contract two different ways.
- Business partners mediationPartners who need to decide whether to stay in business together.
- Other mediation servicesCouples, family, sibling, and business mediation.
Book your free 15-minute call
I call you at the time you pick. Come alone, or with the other side. You tell me where things stand, I tell you honestly whether mediation fits, and you don’t agree to anything on the call.
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