About Mediation

What is Mediation

Mediation is a voluntary and confidential way for people who are experiencing conflict to meet, discuss their concerns, and make decisions together, with the assistance of an impartial mediator. The mediator ensures a compatible process in which the parties talk, listen, and work through their conflict. Unlike an attorney or arbitrator, a mediator does not advise, decide, or direct the outcome of a resolution. The mediator assists the parties to work towards their own resolution of the conflict.

How Mediation Works

A referral to mediation may come from a workplace supervisor or a party to the dispute or both parties in tandem. Many mediations benefit from pre-mediation consultations and interviews. When parties to the dispute agree to participate in the mediation process, arrangements for meeting are made.

Sessions are usually one and a half to two hours, and multiple sessions may be needed, depending on the complexity of the situation.

Mediation may end with a document that either describes resolution agreements or an agreement to disagree and next steps to discuss. In the case of some legal matters, the agreement document may be reviewed by an attorney. The disposition of any written material is thoroughly discussed and agreed upon by all parties prior to initiating the mediation.

In some mediations, we will use two mediators (co-mediators) to increase the effectiveness of our work.

Benefits Of Using Mediation

• Less costly than litigation.
• Improves the bottom line through increased productivity.
• Stress and energy spent on conflict can be redirected to other goals.
• Helps ongoing relationships survive conflicts.
• Results tend to be more lasting.
• Privacy is better preserved.