St. Petersburg, Florida
Mediation Attorneys Serving St. Petersburg, Pinellas County
Supreme Court certified mediation for family, civil, and commercial disputes. Faster and less expensive than trial. St. Petersburg civil and family matters that benefit from mediation frequently come to David as a Florida Supreme Court certified civil and family mediator, or as client counsel depending on who retained us.
How we approach mediation matters in St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg is a 45 minute drive across Tampa Bay. Most of our weekly work is north of the bridge, but we handle St. Pete matters regularly. Personal injury, real estate, and civil litigation are the biggest areas for our St. Pete clients, especially clients who want a board certified real estate attorney without paying downtown St. Pete rates. We appear in Pinellas County court in Clearwater and St. Petersburg, and virtual consultation is always on the table for clients who would rather skip the drive. Twenty years of practice in Tampa Bay means we have the relationships. A small firm structure means every St. Pete client works directly with David or Gwen.
Pinellas County courts and local practice notes
Pinellas courts regularly order mediation in civil and family cases, and Clearwater-area counsel often refer matters to David for neutral civil mediation.
Directions from St. Petersburg: From downtown St. Petersburg, the fastest route to our Lutz office is I-275 north across the Howard Frankland Bridge to SR-54 east. Plan on 45 to 60 minutes depending on bridge and interstate traffic. From the Gateway area or the north side of St. Pete near Carillon, the drive is closer to 35 to 45 minutes. Virtual and phone consultations are always available.
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 twenty 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 St. Petersburg
Do St. Petersburg courts order mediation?
Yes. Both Pinellas County family and civil courts order mediation in most contested matters, and early mediation often resolves St. Petersburg cases before trial preparation costs mount. David is Florida 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?
Full agreement on all issues (submitted to the court for approval); partial agreement with the remaining issues decided by the court; or no agreement, in which case the case 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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