{"id":357660,"date":"2016-04-04T10:41:50","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:41:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/adr\/mediation\/the-mediation-process.html"},"modified":"2016-06-20T20:29:18","modified_gmt":"2016-06-21T01:29:18","slug":"the-mediation-process","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/adr\/mediation\/the-mediation-process.html","title":{"rendered":"The Mediation Process"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Mediation Process<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Welcome to FindLaw’s Mediation Process section. Mediating a dispute may provide a valuable alternative to a courtroom, or at least be a viable first option before resorting to litigation. It is considerably less adversarial and encourages the parties to work out an equitable agreement without lawyering up. However, before seeking mediation, it is a good idea to be well-informed about how the process works and what to expect. In this section, you will find articles outlining some of the advantages offered by mediation, answers to commonly asked questions about mediation, the types of cases that typically are good for mediation, and more.<\/p>\n

Lawsuit Mediation: Compromise Before Suing<\/h2>\n

The mediation process is meant to help parties resolve an issue without needing to take matters to court, leaving lawsuits a last resort when negotiation fails. Mediation can be a more efficient, less expensive, and less contentious way to resolve a problem when you have an ongoing relationship with the other party.<\/p>\n

Lawsuit mediation describes a range of different methods that parties use to reach a mutually acceptable resolution to a problem, though it typically refers to either direct negotiation or assisted mediation. Direct negotiation is when the two parties communicate without an intermediary. You and the other party can make offers to compromise without giving up the right to sue later if the offer isn’t accepted.<\/p>\n

If you choose to negotiate directly it is valuable to consider some factors in advance of negotiations;<\/p>\n