About Spitz Mediation Services, LLC

In 2024, only 110 cases out of over 158,000 concluded with a jury trial in Wisconsin's circuit courts. As an experienced practitioner, Kate has a good eye for which cases will likely go to trial and which will not. 

Mediation encourages litigants to resolve cases in a way that saves both sides time and money. It is an opportunity that should be widely available, but practical considerations of cost often interfere, particularly in disputes where the amount at stake exceeds the small claims threshold but is less than $150,000. Many mediators in civil cases charge rates at or above $400 an hour. This rate can be well worth it in a case where a huge payday hangs in the balance, but it also results in what Kate calls the “missing middle”—cases that should resolve, but for which litigants may hesitate to pay a mediator.

Kate has set her rates to encourage dispute resolution in these mid-size cases. Whether the case is worth $100,000 or $100 million, mediation opens the door to cost-effective, creative solutions not always available from a judge or jury. The parties also benefit from shifting their focus from events of the past, which necessarily become the focus when trying a case, to planning for the future.

If you’ve got a case that’s part of the “missing middle,” contact Kate for rate and scheduling information. (And yes, she’ll also take larger disputes at the same rates.)