| You have something that is very valuable, something | | | | are predominantly mediators or if they also do litigation. |
| that a lot of lawyers would pay good money | | | | Ask them if it would be worth $250 for you to bring |
| for…. And you don't even know it. With just a | | | | them a couple and do the translation for the day. You |
| little effort, you can have a very good part time | | | | may have to negotiate your translation fee but you |
| income, on your day off, without even straining | | | | are worth at least $150! Just to compare, I have done |
| yourself. If you are fluent in English and any other | | | | over 185 mediations and have 100% success rate. I |
| language, if you are part of an ethnic community and | | | | only do mediation, nothing else. On average it takes me |
| can get the word out, you can make money translating | | | | between 4-7 hours to do a mediation. I have very |
| for divorce mediators. Think about it, all day long you | | | | special skills that most lawyers don't have in that I was |
| are hearing about your client's personal problems. | | | | a special education teacher for many years and have |
| Some of them come to you because you speak their | | | | a Masters in teaching severely emotionally disturbed |
| language. They trust you and they don't know what | | | | children, so I have yet to meet a couple I couldn't work |
| lawyer to use when they want to divorce. They need | | | | with. But there are a lot of skilled mediators who are |
| help and can pay for it. | | | | dying for new business. It is best to work with a |
| Do you know how many couples are still together just | | | | lawyer who is a mediator, that way they can do all the |
| because they don't know how to navigate the | | | | legal forms and get everything done for the couple. |
| American legal system? They have heard the horror | | | | But you need to watch out for lawyers who say they |
| stories about nasty divorces and they don't want to | | | | are mediators but are really just trying to cash in on a |
| get involved in an ugly court fight. Those kinds of | | | | good thing. Make sure that at least half their practice |
| couples are PERFECT for mediation. If you don't know | | | | involves mediation. With just a little work, you can have |
| those people, you want to find them. You want to ask | | | | a steady stream of clients to translate for and you |
| around the community and see who fits this | | | | can help others and yourself at the same time. |
| description. Now it is time to find a mediator. | | | | Ms. Rachman has been a family law attorney since |
| Find a good phone book and look under Divorce | | | | 1996 and has become so disheartened by our |
| Assistance or Mediation. Call around and interview the | | | | adversarial legal system that she walked away from a |
| lawyers. Tell them that you are looking to establish a | | | | successful law practice and now only works with |
| referral relationship with a great mediator. Ask them | | | | couples doing mediation. She is interested in hearing |
| how many mediations they have done and what their | | | | from bilingual translators and will pay top dollar for their |
| success rate is. Ask them how long a mediation | | | | services. |
| usually takes and how much they charge. Ask if they | | | | |