How Mediation Works

What is Mediation?


Mediation is when a specially trained and professionally qualified third party intervenes in a dispute and helps the parties, through negotiation techniques, to achieve a settlement agreement.


The mediation process is typically a lower cost alternative to pursuing legal action for a dispute in the courts


Where the mediation succeeds, and over 80% of them do, then it ends with a legally binding agreement.

If all parties are not completely satisfied with the process then either party or the mediator may terminate the process at any time. The claimant may then proceed to assert their legal rights through the courts.


Our current legal system – one of adversarial practice – is being questioned and reformed – it is complicated, time consuming and expensive. Even Arbitration is perceived as being long winded, costly and simply replacing one binding decision making process with another in which people have little or no control over the decision in their disputes.


The reality is that neither party really wants to go to court, except in certain circumstances where precedent or case law may be involved. The answer is simply to give both parties a frame-work in which they, along with The Mediator, can negotiate their own settlement, thus saving time and costs for both parties.