Whatever you're dealing with, come in and talk to us. We'll look at your situation and tell you what your options are — mediation, negotiation, collaborative practice, or court. Then we help you through whichever makes sense.
We look at the facts, tell you what we think, and get on with it.
Mediation is our primary practice. Most disputes — family, civil, commercial — don't need to go to court. We help people reach resolution without one.
Divorce, custody, maintenance, division of matrimonial assets. Mediation lets both parties reach their own agreement — faster, cheaper, and with less damage than going to court. We mediate in Kota Kinabalu and online.
Business disputes, contract disagreements, debt, property, partnership breakdowns. If two parties need to reach a resolution without litigation, mediation is usually the faster and less costly path.
Employment disputes, team conflicts, employer-employee breakdowns. Mediation preserves working relationships where possible — and where it isn't, it still reaches resolution without the cost of a tribunal.
For couples who have decided to separate and want to do it properly, without a courtroom. Joint petition, collaborative process, or negotiated settlement — we guide both parties to a clean resolution.
Getting this done properly now saves the people you leave behind a great deal of difficulty later.
We handle the legal process of administering an estate on behalf of families who are already dealing with enough.
Selective Court Work. We accept judicial review applications and criminal appeals where we believe we can make a difference.
Advocate & Solicitor · BICAM-Certified Mediator
"Fifteen years teaches you when to push — and when to find another way."
Usman & Partners was established in 2015 and is based in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The firm is led by Michelle Rossana Usman — advocate, mediator, and principal of the firm.
Michelle is a BICAM-certified mediator and member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. Mediation is her primary practice. Where a matter genuinely requires court, she is prepared for that too — but her first question is always whether it needs to go that far.
She co-founded the Sabah Human Rights Centre and has appeared before the Federal Court.
Mediation is a staged process. Each stage is billed separately. You only proceed when you're ready. All fees are per party unless stated otherwise.
No ambiguity about what happens next.
Tell us your problem. We'll listen and let you know whether your matter is something we can help with.
By appointment. We go through the facts properly and give you a clear picture of your options and what each one involves.
We tell you what we think the right approach is and why. You decide.
We take on the matter and see it through.
Notes on mediation, law, human nature, and the harder work of helping people reach resolution. Essays published at Trueish — thinking about temperament, practice, and how people actually work.
Read the essaysTell us your problem. We'll try to help solve it.