Maxwell Livingston | Estate Planning

Maxwell Livingston |

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Let’s say that two kids are arguing over an orange. One wants to eat it, whereas the other wants to use it to bake a pie. Neither kid is necessarily “wrong” for wanting what they want, so I ask you — who should get the orange?

I ask this question not to start some grand philosophical conversation, but to illustrate the practicality of mediation. You see, most people’s instinct is to pick a side and fight for a definitive, “one side wins it all” kind of conclusion.

But not me. I’m attorney Maxwell Livingston, and I prefer to find the middle ground that will allow both parties to walk away feeling pleased with the result. In this scenario, for example, I’d recommend giving one kid the orange peel for their pie and allowing the other to eat the fruit within.