Mediation questions, answered plainly.

Email contact@amberrusselladr.com with the case style, parties and counsel, two or three preferred dates, and a one-paragraph issue summary. You will get available dates within one business day. A date is held tentatively on request and confirmed when all parties sign the mediation agreement.

Two to four weeks is typical. Shorter notice is often possible for half-day Zoom sessions; ask.

Cancellations or reschedules within seven calendar days of the scheduled start incur a 50% cancellation fee per party, unless otherwise agreed in writing. Rescheduling outside seven days is free.

Yes. Follow-up sessions are scheduled by agreement, usually at the half-day rate. Many cases that do not close on day one close on a short follow-up call once new information is in hand.

Sessions are conducted by Zoom statewide, which keeps fees flat and lets decision-makers in other cities attend. In-person sessions in Austin can be arranged case by case; travel is billed separately.

Strongly preferred, and they are read in full before the session. A useful statement is short: liability posture, damages model or medical summary, deposition highlights, prior demands and offers, and any obstacle to settlement the other side may not know about. Exhibits are welcome.

Each party with full settlement authority, counsel, and for insured defendants the adjuster with authority. If authority sits with someone who cannot attend, tell us in advance so the day is planned around it.

Half-day blocks are four hours; full-day blocks are eight. Overtime is $425 per party per hour and is only used when everyone agrees the case is close.

Texas civil litigation where trial risk drives value: personal injury and wrongful death (auto, trucking, premises, product), catastrophic injury with future-damages disputes, commercial and contract disputes, and multi-party or coverage-driven matters. See Services.

No. Amber Russell ADR handles civil litigation only.

Facilitative by default: the goal is for each side to see its own case clearly. When counsel asks for her view of the range or trial risk, she gives it directly and explains the basis, drawing on years of both defense-side and plaintiff-side litigation.

Amber continues to practice as a trial lawyer. Any prior relationship with a party, firm, adjuster, or carrier is disclosed before a date is confirmed, and she will decline a matter where neutrality could reasonably be questioned.

You leave with a written summary of where the numbers stood, the open issues, and agreed next steps. If both sides want it, Amber stays available for follow-up calls at no charge for brief check-ins.

Yes. Sessions are conducted under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 154. Nothing said in caucus is shared with the other side without permission, and mediation statements are not retained after the matter closes.