We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Casaus recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, appreciate you joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

The industry standard is to provide limited options to legal services with either no guidance- or a huge expense for that guidance. Our approach is to offer an alternative to the traditional legal process- while still achieving the same end result. Whether it’s divorce, business, estate planning, or other matters that require negotiation and an agreement made for that unique situation- we provide highly-trained and professional mediators that specialize in neutral negotiation and collaborative dispute resolution.

We provide legal services in a niche area of the law (medaition) that enables parties to take control of their legal matters privately, while still having guidance and access to highly trained legal professionals- for a reasonable and transparent rate. (We don’t believe in charging by the .10 of the hour- or charging for phone calls, texts, or emails… we want our clients to communicate without fear of a fee!)

Nicole, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Nicole Casaus. I went to a great law school, then chose to use my powers (or legal knowledge base) for good an not evil. Ok.. I know that sounds a little dramatic, but let’s roll with it for a minute. Lawyers and attorneys typically have a tough time maintaining a positive reputation in society- that isn’t totally unjustified. Taking a bird’s eye view of the current legal system, litigation isn’t created to effectively and efficiently solve problems. Obviously this will vary depending on the area of law and the practitioners involved, but overall- look at the system. Attorneys get paid more when you fight more. The court is overloaded and doesn’t have any incentive to be efficient in processing cases. So, what are the alternatives? You can DIY almost any case with the court without attorney representation… but that can be extremely frustrating- not to mention dangerous if you don’t know what your legal rights and responsibilities are. There’s actually a third option to consider, but it isn’t as well-known as the other 2… it’s called mediation. That’s where my superpower comes in.

Through mediation (a 100% voluntary process), parties work WITH eachother instead of against eachother with the guidance and support of a trained mediator to come to a customized agreement that is tailored to meet their specific needs. No only is this agreement more likely to be durable through the years, but it takes into consideration many aspects of the situation that a court may not even be able to consider- or realistically make time for at a hearing.

I founded AZ Mediation Center in 2017 after finishing law school and wanting to find a better solution to the traditional adversarial system we have in place with the courts. Over the years we have helped hundreds of familes just in our area to move forward in a more positive way, that enables them to move forward with little to no conflict between co-parents. We LOVE seeing the impact we have made through our clients and their families, knowing that we had a hand in making a tough process a little easier, less stressful, and a lot less expensive than the traditional route- all while accomplishing the desired result at the end (and signed by the judge without our clients ever having to set foot inside the courtroom)!

We have recieved so much positive feedback over the years about the value of the service that we are providing to our community. We treat people like people… not like a case number. Helping others preserve their ability to be a more compatible family- or to help people start on a new chapter in their lives by reducing the fighting is what dirves us to do what we do. It’s not an easy job to throw yourself into the middle of a difficult and emotional situation, but the results are well worth it.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

One of our core standards at AZ Mediation Center is to treat people like people- not case numbers. We take the time to talk with our clients so they we can understand their needs, and what their goals for the future are. Divorce and family matters are not a one-size-fits-all situation- at all. Unfortunately many people that go through the traditional litigation route feel confused, ignored, or even alone throughout the entire legal process. I know I did when I went through a horrendous divorce with young children in 2012.

We built our reputation in our community by word-of-mouth advertising based on a straightforward and respectful approach to legal matters with our clients.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When I completed law school and founded AZ Mediation Center, I realized there were some massive gaps in the information I had about business- especially as an entrepreneur. The first year of business was a struggle as I didn’t know how to market, manage, or expand properly when the time came. I struggled with finding great people to hire to help me with the workload and my work-life balance was nonexistent. I completed my MBA and focused on efficient marketing and management tactics. I thought if I worked harder, things would just fall in place and get easier. I was wrong. I had to unlearn the unrealistic work ethic and create a real balance between work and life.

By slowing down and taking more time for myself and family, I was able to bring more to the table on all fronts- and I avoided the constant exaustion and feeling of burnout that was taking the joy from my passion of helping people through difficult situations.

I also expanded the services offered by AZ Mediation Center by expanding to business mediation, estate planning mediation, and government/corporate mediation. This provided a greater variation in what we were doing daily, which eventually led to a more interesting workday and improved workplace culture for everyone.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.AZMediationCenter.com
• Instagram: @az_mediation

Image Credits

Krissy Taylor Photography