The Divorce Mediation Process
The mediation process is very conducive to disclosure and potential agreement. The amount of pre-mediation contact with the mediator is dependent on the type of dispute. For disputes involving multiple parties with multiple representatives, the mediator is likely to spend some time speaking with each of the parties previous to convening a mediation session.
This time is used to educate the parties about the process. The mediator will explain his/her expectations of the parties and review the agreement to mediate. The mediator may gather general information about the dispute in order to determine key issues and help to determine whether this is an appropriate route that will lead to success for the family. The mediator may need time to research information about the context of the dispute (leaving specific details to be disclosed and discussed in the actual session). These efforts on the part of the mediator will expedite the actual mediation session, benefitting all parties involved.