When you choose to mediate, you are choosing to take an active role in your case and have greater control over your outcome. At every step of the process, you will be in position to accept or reject the other party’s actions. With this in mind, whom you choose to facilitate this process is of utmost importance.

The mediator can greatly impact the success of your case. Everything from the mediator’s human skills, creativity, tenacity, professional background, personality and reputation should be taken into consideration.

Creativity

You want a mediator who is creative, flexible, and able to identify and help you explore the unique aspects of your case. Every case is unique and should be treated as such. Mediators should never be rigid in their approach, as the very nature of mediation is to find the right solution to your unique case.

Trust

A mediator should be trustworthy. During a mediation, you need to know that confidences will be kept, feelings will be respected, that you will be listened to, and that your best interests will be honored.

Mediation is a very powerful and effective process, especially when all parties share the same desire to reach a resolution. However, sometimes all parties are not equally motivated. Some cases involve highly sensitive issues and/or difficult personalities. Your mediator may be the deciding factor in how well the process moves, and even whether or not you are able to reach a successful resolution.