Question: What is mediation?
Answer: Mediation is a process by which parties who could otherwise go to court to resolve a dispute determine they will go to a neutral third party with or without lawyers to see if they can resolve a dispute. Often what occurs is the mediator selected will often be a family law lawyer with many years of experience. Routinely parties would share the cost of the mediator’s services. The mediator’s role often involves assisting the parties to narrow or resolve issues or the entire dispute. The mediator can often assist the parties by providing a view of what might happen if they went to court. In many mediations parties still have independent counsel who assist in marshalling the facts and taking negotiating positions to the mediator with the ultimate goal being seeking common ground and a settlement without going to the expense and uncertainty of court proceedings.