The Labour Dispute & Mediation Centre
Alternative dispute resolution specialists
The Dispute Resolution Firm & Mediation Centre
The Dispute Resolution Firm & Mediation Centre offers a variety of alternative dispute resolution services to suit your unique and specific circumstances. Below are the alternative dispute resolution services offered:- 1. Mediation
- (Category)
- Created on 10 July 2018
- 2. Court-Annexed Mediation
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- Where do I go for mediation services? You approach the mediation clerk in the Civil Section at the Magistrate’s Court which has jurisdiction in respect of the dispute. The clerk will arrange for the ...
- Created on 10 July 2018
- 3. The Dispute Resolution Firm & Mediation Centre
- (Contacts / Uncategorised)
- The Dispute Resolution Firm & Mediation Centre
- Created on
- 4. Caucus: A Blessing and a Curse in Mediation
- (News & Information)
- Caucus is often treated as the backbone of modern mediation. It is the go-to move when things stall, emotions rise, or parties dig in. Most mediations today shift quickly from a brief joint session into ...
- Created on 09 April 2026
- 5. The Benefits of Co-Mediation: Weaving with Two Threads
- (News & Information)
- Mediation as a divorce option has grown substantially over the years and is now considered mainstream. In the past few years, there has been growth in the use of co-mediation, with partnerships of Attorney/Mental ...
- Created on 08 September 2025
- 6. Slowing Down: How Dubai Taught Me About Implicit Bias in Mediation
- (News & Information)
- ... professional assumptions: implicit bias isn’t just about race, gender, or class. It also shows up in how we perceive time, pacing, and silence in mediation. Reflecting back, I recalled mediations where ...
- Created on 03 July 2025
- 7. When Neutrality Fails: Rethinking Mediation with Narcissists
- (News & Information)
- A Personal Awakening in Mediation On a quiet summer night in 2023, my phone rang, shattering the silence. On the other end, my mother’s voice trembled with despair: “I don’t think I can live anymore.” ...
- Created on 10 April 2025
- 8. AI’s Double-Edged Role in Dispute Resolution: Insights From a Simulated Mediation
- (News & Information)
- ... Tries to Solve the Dispute It Created,” participants witnessed a meticulously staged simulation of a challenging international mediation. Through this scenario, attendees explored how artificial intelligence ...
- Created on 30 January 2025
- 9. Leveraging Mediation to Foster Mental Health During Divorce
- (News & Information)
- ... is a good start, but it is through the thoughtful process of mediation that we find a space where every voice is heard. Join us as we explore some strategies that foster mental wellness, embracing ...
- Created on 22 September 2023
- 10. Trauma-Informed Care in Mediation
- (News & Information)
- ... No one is immune. In practice, you may have encountered a client who struggled with a traumatic event and had difficulty moving forward. Parties who engage in mediation frequently have contended with ...
- Created on 20 July 2023
- 11. The Gentle Art of Dispute Resolution – Mediation Lessons from a Jiu Jitsu Practitioner
- (News & Information)
- ... of jiu jitsu apply to a different part of my life: mediation. Paradoxically known as the “gentle art,” Brazilian jiu jitsu is a form of martial arts focused on grappling, ground fighting and submission ...
- Created on 16 June 2023
- 12. Optimization in Mediation and Artificial Intelligence
- (News & Information)
- As far as I can tell, the development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) is the biggest technical advance for mediators and mediation since the original adoption of email in the 1980’s and ...
- Created on 20 April 2023
- 13. What If We Don’t Agree on Everything in Divorce Mediation?
- (News & Information)
- Divorce mediation does not always end in a full agreement. Sometimes, there are a few topics you can’t agree on or you find that mediation isn’t right for you. You have a few options to resolve your ...
- Created on 02 March 2023
- 14. Van Winkle: An Unintended Consequence of Zoom Mediations
- (News & Information)
- Abstract: The suspension of the in-person attendance requirement for mediations has resulted in remote mediations becoming the norm. Many parties and attorneys have expressed satisfaction with this remote ...
- Created on 23 February 2023
- 15. Is Mediation like Quantum Physics?
- (News & Information)
- ... directions? Prior to mediation, the outcome could be any one of many: all over the spectrum. The outcomes are far from definitive, depending on the substance and process of the mediation. Is the mediator ...
- Created on 27 January 2023
- 16. Mediation – A Sound First Step to a Successful Prenup
- (News & Information)
- ... I have found that mediation is often the best first step. This process begins with the couple working with a neutral mediator. For a prenup, the mediator should be someone well-versed in divorce law, ...
- Created on 03 October 2022
- 17. The Art of the Simple in Mediation
- (News & Information)
- ... have a toolbox of skills, insightful questions, or any mediation theory that I bring to the room. I have no desire to change people, to teach cooperation or to understand their emotions or their so-called ...
- Created on 05 May 2022
- 18. The Ethics of NDAs in Mediation and Arbitration
- (Videos)
- ... on NDAs to discuss best practices and guidelines for their use. This online colloquium examined the current use of NDAs in arbitration and mediation and discussed how they can be utilized without ...
- Created on 24 March 2022
- 19. Mediation and Insolvency, with a focus on developing countries
- (News & Information)
- ... disputes for decades, only in the last ten years mediation in insolvency cases. In the late ‘90s many developing countries experienced financial distress. In 1999 the World Bank began to analyse the ...
- Created on 17 March 2022
- 20. Considering the Use of NDAs in Mediation Settlements and Arbitration Awards
- (News & Information)
- ... for their use. The online colloquium will examine the current use of NDAs in arbitration and mediation and discuss how they can be utilized without crossing any ethical lines. We will discuss the role ...
- Created on 15 February 2022
ADRWhat is alternative dispute resolution?
Alternative Dispute Resolution ("ADR") refers to any means of settling disputes outside of the courtroom. ADR typically includes early neutral evaluation, negotiation, conciliation, mediation, and arbitration.DisputeWhat is Mediation?
Mediation is generally defined as the process by which someone tries to end a disagreement by helping the two sides to talk about and agree on a solution.
A mediator is a neutral third party, generally a person who is not directly involved in the dispute or the substantive issues in question. This is a critical factor in conflict...
The disputants must be willing to allow a third party to enter the dispute and assist them in developing proposals and reaching a solution. Acceptability does not necessarily...
Intervention implies entering into an ongoing system of relationships, to come between or among persons, groups, or objects to help them. It is important to realise that the...
For mediation to occur, the participants must begin talking or negotiating. In workplace conflict, labour and management must be willing to hold bargaining sessions, in business, business...
Voluntary - You can leave at any time for any reason, or no reason. Collaborative - As no participant in mediation can impose anything on anyone, everyone is motivated to work...
A mediator has no authoritative decision-making power; he or she cannot unilaterally mandate or force parties to resolve their differences and enforce the decision. This...
Our definition states that a mediator assists disputing parties. Assistance can refer to very general or highly specific activities. Here follows some of the more general roles...
The last component of the definition describes mediation as a voluntary process to reach a mutually acceptable settlement of issues in dispute. Voluntary generally refers to both...
Accreditations & Memberships
Our accreditation process ensures that our certification practices are acceptable
Gerrie is in private practice as a family mediator previously having served as the Chairman on the Executive Committee of Family Mediators’ Association of the Cape (FAMAC)
Gerrie van der Watt
M.Phil. Labour Law (UCT), Dispute Settlement and Mediation (USB)
He is a Commercial Mediator accredited with the Africa Centre for Dispute Settlement (CD/ACDS) with UK international accreditation (CEDR).
Gerrie van der Watt
M.Phil. Labour Law (UCT), Dispute Settlement and Mediation (USB)
In addition, he also serves as a panellist on the Arbitration Forum of Southern Africa (AFSA) and he is a member of the Arbitration Forum of South Africa
Gerrie van der Watt
M.Phil. Labour Law (UCT), Dispute Settlement and Mediation (USB)
BlogNews, Info & Videos
Browse the latest articles and info from our blog. Includes News, Information and Videos.
Caucus is often treated as the backbone of modern mediation. It is the go-to move when things stall, emotions rise, or parties dig in. Most...
“While strength is the natural quality of an individual seen in isolation, power springs up between men when they act together and vanishes the...
Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. It is about observing your thoughts and feelings without judging them.This state of...
Mediation as a divorce option has grown substantially over the years and is now considered mainstream. In the past few years, there has been growth...