Tory Willingham, M.ED., M.S.
  

Tory Willingham is a Florida Supreme Court certified mediator and arbitrator.  During her past eight years in the field of dispute resolution she has facilitated, mediated or arbitrated more than 900 cases involving housing disputes, employment issues, discrimination claims, family issues, divorce, custody, support, domestic partnership issues, contracts, personal injury, insurance claims, small business and family business issues, consumer disputes, condominium and landlord/tenant disputes.
  

Ms. Willingham has devoted the last eight years to the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).  Her professional background includes four years as an educator, three years in the medical field as the executive director for a non-profit HIV/AIDS research organization, six years in business development, and thirteen years in the construction industry as a civil engineer/project manager.  Her professional memberships include The Society for Professionals in Dispute Resolution (The Association for Conflict Resolution), The Florida Academy of Professional Mediators, and The Association of Broward County Mediators.  Ms. Willingham is also a Guardian Ad Litem in Broward County.

Tory Willingham is responsible for the development of a public mediation program in association with HOPE, Inc., a non-profit fair housing concern in Broward County for which she has also mediated a variety of housing disputes, including ADA issues and discrimination issues.  She has also worked with the Palm Beach County Office of Equal Opportunity to help develop their mediation program.

In addition to a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida, Ms. Willingham has a Masters degree in Education from Rollins College and a Masters degree from NOVA Southeastern University in Dispute Resolution.

Tory Willingham is deeply committed to the field of Dispute Resolution, and specializes in both mediation and arbitration. 

Mediation is an informal, confidential process in which a professionally trained neutral third party, the mediator, aids the parties involved in the dispute toward reaching resolution of all, or part, of the issues in dispute.  The mediator helps the parties examine the situation, explore various options and look at possible solutions in a realistic manner.  The goal of mediation is to help opposing parties find a “win-win” solution.  Mediation requires the active involvement of the parties.  It is Ms. Willingham's belief that the parties themselves, knowing the issues best, are often the most qualified participants in successful resolution of these disputes.

While the primary goal of mediation is to resolve differences, mediation also promotes communication and cooperation, allows parties to control the decisions that affect them, and is typically less costly than litigation in terms of economics, time and emotional energy.  Mediated settlements generally result in greater compliance because the decision is consensual and the process provides for solutions outside the powers of the courts to impose.

Tory Willingham is also a qualified arbitrator.  In arbitration, each party presents their case to the arbitrator, or panel of arbitrators.  The arbitrator or panel then makes a decision based on the presentations, evidence and testimony.  Parties may agree to binding or non-binding arbitration, meaning neither, one, or both parties agree to abide by the decision. 

Ms. Willingham has extensive experience serving as an arbitrator both individually and on arbitration panels.  She has received training from the State of Florida’s Supreme Court Arbitration Program, the Better Business Bureau, the National Association of Securities Dealers, and NOVA Southeastern University and regularly conducts hearings for private parties, the Better Business Bureau and the National Association of Security Dealers.  She also accepts court-appointed cases from districts in south Florida.

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