Serious conflicts are rare with virtual assistants because they are trained to rigorous ethical standards and are accustomed to working with clients they never see.

But conflict can happen, of course. Make sure a procedure to deal with it is specified up front in your contract, because credentialing organizations have no fiduciary responsibility for the VAs they certify.

“We have an ethics pledge that every one of our VAs is expected to adhere to,” says Stacy Brice, president of AssistU, which trains and certifies Virtual Assistants. “But they build their relationships on their own. We don’t get in the middle of things.”

She recommends a binding mediation clause in the contract or letter of agreement. The sticky part comes in agreeing which community’s laws govern mediation—neither of you want the expense of traveling to the other’s location.

For that reason, Brice suggests “virtual mediation.” Both agree in advance that a mediating firm with three-way phone capability be stipulated.

When an intractable problem arises, each side sends documentation to the mediator, then everyone discusses it over a phone linkup. Both sides agree to be bound by the outcome that the mediator decides.

Brice and Angela Allen, vice president of the International Virtual Assistants Association, agree that any concerns at the start of a VA relationship typically dissolve in a month or so. “If they don’t, if you still have concerns,” Allen notes, “then she probably isn’t the right VA for you.”