64/100LFR Score
Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 38 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Mediation service”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Mediators in El Cerrito, CA: 2026 rankings
82 mediators ranked by LFR ScoreUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank →
The short answer
- 1
Highest LFR Score in El Cerrito: Shikina Mediation, LFR Score 64/100; 4.9★ from 38 Google reviews; open Saturdays until 12 PM.
- 5
Open 24 hours (per Google): Bay Legal, PC, posts 24/7 hours; ranked #5 of 82.
- 5
Most-reviewed: Bay Legal, PC, 441 Google reviews at 4.8★, the most of 82 ranked; ranked #5.
Rankings can't be bought. Lawyers can't pay to change their rank or score. How we rank
82 El Cerrito mediators are ranked here by LFR Score, from nine published factors. 5 are open 24/7, 12 open Saturdays and 7 open Sundays, based on posted hours. The median Google rating is 4.8★ across 82 rated law firms.
Top 10 mediators in El Cerrito at a glance
Ranked by our published LFR Score from public data, not by payment; a rank is not an endorsement or a prediction of results.
| Rank | Business | LFR Score | Google rating | Based in | Hours | Notable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shikina Mediation | 64 | 4.9★ (38) | Oakland, 7 mi away | Sat | Top score |
| 2 | East Bay Mediation Services | 61 | 5.0★ (5) | Alameda, 11 mi away | Sat · Sun | — |
| 3 | Graceffa Law, Inc. & The Graceffa Dispute Resolution Center | 61 | 4.7★ (31) | Oakland, 9 mi away | — | — |
| 4 | Guideway Legal Document & Mediation Services | 61 | 4.8★ (193) | Walnut Creek, 14 mi away | Sat | — |
| 5 | Bay Legal, PC | 59 | 4.8★ (441) | Palo Alto, 33 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | Open 24 hours, Most reviews |
| 6 | Hello Divorce | 58 | 4.4★ (109) | Alameda, 9 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | — |
| 7 | King Collaborative Law and Mediation, PC | 58 | 5.0★ (4) | Albany, 2 mi away | — | — |
| 8 | Far River Mediation | 58 | 5.0★ (3) | Berkeley, 4 mi away | — | — |
| 9 | Divorce with Dignity - San Francisco | 57 | 5.0★ (31) | San Francisco, 10 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | — |
| 10 | Off The Record Mediation Services LLC | 57 | 4.2★ (5) | Palo Alto, 36 mi away | Sat · Sun | — |
All 82 mediators in El Cerrito, in rank order
Ordered by LFR Score, a 0–100 score from nine published factors. Paid placement never changes the order.
Ranked by our published LFR Score from public data, not by payment; a rank is not an endorsement or a prediction of results.
Based in Alameda, 11 mi away
61/100LFR ScoreRanked #2 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 5 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Mediation service”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Oakland, 9 mi away
61/100LFR ScoreRanked #3 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.7★ from 31 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Mediation service”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Walnut Creek, 14 mi away
61/100LFR ScoreRanked #4 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 193 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Legal services”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Palo Alto, 33 mi away
59/100LFR ScoreRanked #5 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.8★ from 441 Google reviews, the most in El Cerrito.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Alameda, 9 mi away
58/100LFR ScoreRanked #6 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.4★ from 109 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Albany, 2 mi away
58/100LFR ScoreRanked #7 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 4 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Mediation service”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Berkeley, 4 mi away
58/100LFR ScoreRanked #8 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 3 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Mediation service”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in San Francisco, 10 mi away
57/100LFR ScoreRanked #9 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 31 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Divorce service”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Palo Alto, 36 mi away
57/100LFR ScoreRanked #10 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.2★ from 5 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Mediation service”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Mill Valley, 11 mi away
56/100LFR ScoreRanked #11 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 3 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Mediation service”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in San Rafael, 14 mi away
56/100LFR ScoreRanked #12 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.3★ from 6 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Mediation service”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Concord, 15 mi away
56/100LFR ScoreRanked #13 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 4 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Mediation service”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Oakland, 9 mi away
55/100LFR ScoreRanked #14 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.6★ from 28 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Legal services”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in San Ramon, 22 mi away
55/100LFR ScoreRanked #15 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 3 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Mediation service”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Redwood City, 27 mi away
54/100LFR ScoreRanked #16 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.7★ from 21 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Family law attorney”.
Based on 6 of 9 factors; bar status, recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Oakland, 8 mi away
54/100LFR ScoreRanked #17 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 6 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Family law attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Alameda, 11 mi away
54/100LFR ScoreRanked #18 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 33 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Divorce lawyer”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in San Francisco, 10 mi away
53/100LFR ScoreRanked #19 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 58 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Divorce lawyer”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Livermore, 34 mi away
53/100LFR ScoreRanked #20 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 4 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Mediation service”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in San Francisco, 12 mi away
53/100LFR ScoreRanked #21 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 4 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Divorce lawyer”.
Based on 6 of 9 factors; bar status, recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Alameda, 11 mi away
53/100LFR ScoreRanked #22 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.7★ from 15 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Family law attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in San Rafael, 12 mi away
53/100LFR ScoreRanked #23 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 26 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Immigration attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Walnut Creek, 14 mi away
53/100LFR ScoreRanked #24 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 61 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Family law attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
#25 Romanov Law
Based in San Francisco, 10 mi away
53/100LFR ScoreRanked #25 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 46 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Divorce lawyer”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Mediators ranked #26 to #50
#1 to #25 are shown in full above. Here are #26 to #50, in LFR Score order; each links to its profile. We publish the top 50 of 82 ranked mediators here; the rest are on their profiles.
Also serving El Cerrito
20 more mediators within 40 mi that we can't rank yet: too few reviews, or a practice area we couldn't confirm. Listed A to Z.
| Business | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bickerton Jeff | 3.0★ (2) | 31 mi |
| De Falla Law & Mediation | 5.0★ (2) | 18 mi |
| Divorce with Dignity - San Mateo | 3.0★ (2) | 23 mi |
| Law & Mediation Offices of Rodney N. Johnson | 5.0★ (2) | 12 mi |
| Law and Mediation Offices of Stuart Diamond | 5.0★ (2) | 12 mi |
| Law Office of Cristin M. Lowe | 3.0★ (2) | 27 mi |
| Law Offices of Andrea B. Goldman | 5.0★ (2) | 2 mi |
| Law Offices of Triano & Byrne | 1.0★ (1) | 4 mi |
| Law Offices of Yasmin James P.C. | 3.5★ (2) | 8 mi |
| LGBT Family Law Service | 1.0★ (1) | 7 mi |
| Mediation Offices | 5.0★ (2) | 7 mi |
| Michael Bailey Law Offices | 4.5★ (2) | 10 mi |
| Napa Mediation Center | 1.5★ (2) | 27 mi |
| Olivier & Schreiber PC | 5.0★ (1) | 8 mi |
| Online 2 Help Notary & Mediation | 5.0★ (2) | 8 mi |
| Sawyer Mediation | 3.0★ (2) | 12 mi |
| Stromberg Law Firm Attorneys-Mediators | 4.5★ (2) | 14 mi |
| TAYLOR ADR | 5.0★ (1) | 3 mi |
| Wanderman Family Law P.C. | 5.0★ (2) | 25 mi |
| William R. Fishman | 5.0★ (2) | 28 mi |
How we ranked El Cerrito mediators
We scored 82 El Cerrito mediators on nine factors, weighted as shown. A law firm is ranked when its practice area is confirmed and it has 3 or more Google reviews or a claimed profile. A law firm with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency. Other unknown factors are left out, not counted as zero. Scores last refreshed November 9, 2026.
Paid placement never changes a rank or score. Attorney advertising businesses are paid, labelled, limited to 3 and shown above the ranking, outside it.
| Factor | Weight | Computed from | In El Cerrito data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reputation | 25% | Google star rating, adjusted for how many reviews back it | Measured |
| Bar status | 10% | An active bar or law society record matched to a lawyer at the firm (not measured until a record source is loaded) | Not yet collected |
| Review volume | 10% | Number of Google reviews, compared with the most-reviewed firm on the list | Measured |
| Recency | 10% | Share of reviews from the last 12 months | Not yet collected |
| Availability | 5% | Weekly office hours, Saturday, Sunday, and phones answered 24/7 | Measured |
| Practice focus | 15% | How clearly the firm practises this area (its Google category and name) | Measured |
| Proximity | 5% | An office in the city scores highest, less the farther away it is | Measured |
| Claimed profile | 10% | The firm has claimed its Law Firms Ranked profile (free and paid earn the same) | Measured |
| Law Firms Ranked reviews | 10% | Verified client reviews collected by Law Firms Ranked: their rating and how many there are | Measured |
How to choose a mediator
- Check the lawyer’s status and any public discipline in the state bar or law society directory.
- Ask how many mediation matters the lawyer handles each year, and who at the firm will do the work.
- Get the fee arrangement in writing: hourly, flat or contingency, and which costs are charged on top.
- Ask how and how often the firm will update you, and how fast it answers calls and emails.
- Read recent reviews for how the firm communicated and billed, not only for outcomes.
- Ask whether the mediator is a lawyer, what mediation training or accreditation they hold, and how many matters like yours they have mediated.
- Meet more than one firm; many offer a short first consultation, sometimes free.
Questions to ask a mediator
- How would you approach a matter like mine, and what are the realistic options?
- How do you charge, and what will the total likely cost?
- Who will be my main contact, and how quickly do you reply?
- Are you a lawyer, and who prepares the written agreement?
- How many sessions does a matter like ours usually take?
- Is there any conflict of interest that would stop you representing me?
Terms explained
- Contingency fee
- A fee that is a share of the money recovered, paid only if there is a recovery. Common in injury cases; not allowed for criminal defense or for securing a divorce.
- Retainer
- Money paid up front and held in a trust account, which the lawyer draws on as fees are earned.
- Flat fee
- One set price for a defined piece of work, such as a will or an uncontested matter.
- Limited-scope representation
- Paying a lawyer for part of a matter only, such as reviewing documents or coaching for one hearing (also called unbundled services).
- Statute of limitations
- The deadline to file a lawsuit or charge. It differs by state or province and by type of claim.
- Good standing
- A lawyer’s status as active and eligible to practise with a state bar or law society.
- Law society
- The body that licenses and disciplines lawyers in a Canadian province or territory.
- Board certification
- Recognition in a field of law by a state program or an organisation accredited for that purpose. Lawyers may only claim it when they hold it, naming the certifying body.
- Attorney–client privilege
- The rule that keeps confidential communications between a client and lawyer, made for legal advice, out of court.
- Conflict check
- The search a firm runs before taking a matter to make sure it does not represent someone on the other side.
- Pro bono
- Legal work done for free, usually for people who cannot afford a lawyer.
- Legal aid
- Publicly funded legal help for people with low incomes, through legal aid offices, public defenders or provincial legal aid plans.
Mediators in El Cerrito: frequently asked questions
Which mediator has the highest LFR Score in El Cerrito?
By LFR Score, the highest-ranked mediator in El Cerrito, CA is Shikina Mediation with an LFR Score of 64/100. It has 4.9★ from 38 Google reviews. It is open Saturdays until 12 PM. East Bay Mediation Services (#2) and Graceffa Law, Inc. & The Graceffa Dispute Resolution Center (#3) follow. We ranked 82 mediators on nine factors, last updated November 9, 2026.
How many mediators are there in El Cerrito?
LawFirmsRanked ranks 82 mediators serving El Cerrito, CA. Another 20 within 40 mi are listed but not ranked yet. Counts are as of November 2026.
Which mediators in El Cerrito are open 24/7?
5 ranked mediators in El Cerrito post 24/7 hours. The highest-ranked are Bay Legal, PC (#5), Hello Divorce (#6) and Divorce with Dignity - San Francisco (#9). Hours come from each law firm's Google listing as of November 2026, so call to confirm.
Which mediators in El Cerrito work on weekends?
12 of 82 ranked mediators post Saturday hours and 7 post Sunday hours. The highest-ranked open Saturdays are Shikina Mediation (#1), East Bay Mediation Services (#2) and Guideway Legal Document & Mediation Services (#4). Posted hours are office hours; many firms meet clients by appointment outside them.
What Google rating do El Cerrito mediators have?
The median Google rating among 82 rated mediators in El Cerrito is 4.8★, with a median of 8 reviews. Bay Legal, PC has the most, 441 reviews, and ranks #5. We adjust ratings for review count, so a few five-star reviews cannot top the list.
How does LawFirmsRanked rank mediators?
Each mediator gets a 0–100 LFR Score from nine published factors, led by reputation (25%), practice focus (15%), review volume (10%) and recency (10%). A law firm with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency; other factors we cannot measure are left out. Only law firms with a confirmed practice area and 3 or more reviews, or a claimed profile, are ranked.
Do mediators outside El Cerrito count in this ranking?
Yes, if they are within 40 mi of the El Cerrito city center, our service radius for mediators. Each listing shows where the law firm is based and how far away it is. Proximity is 5% of the LFR Score, so a nearby law firm gets a small edge.
Can mediators pay to rank higher on LawFirmsRanked?
No. The LFR Score never reads payment status, and this ranking has 0 paid placements. Up to 3 Featured law firms may appear above the list, labelled Attorney advertising and showing their honest rank.
How do mediators in El Cerrito, CA charge?
Mediators usually charge by the hour or a flat fee per session, and the cost is often split between the two sides. Ask for the fee arrangement in writing before you agree.
Is an agreement reached in mediation legally binding?
Mediation is voluntary and the mediator does not decide anything. If both sides agree, the terms are usually written up and signed, and in a divorce or custody matter filed with the court to become binding. Each side can have its own lawyer review the agreement first. This is general information, not legal advice.
How is this list of mediators in El Cerrito, CA ranked?
By LFR Score only, from public data on reviews, practice focus, office location and hours. Firms labelled “Attorney advertising” paid for that placement; payment never changes a rank, and a rank is not an endorsement.
Does a lawyer need an office in El Cerrito?
No, but the lawyer must be licensed in your state (or, for federal matters such as immigration, in some state). A local office makes meetings and court appearances easier, so proximity is one of our factors.
Update log for El Cerrito
- November 2026: LFR Scores recalculated for 82 mediators serving El Cerrito.
More mediators and El Cerrito pages
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- All lawyers in El Cerrito