An agreement reached by the parties is to be based on the decisions of the parties, and not the decisions of the mediator. With the help of a professional mediator, parties define specific concerns or potential problem areas, gather facts, explore options for resolution, and develop a plan which best meets the needs of the children and parents. Upon successful completion of mediation, the mediator will prepare a written agreement for each party to sign. If parties have attorneys, it is recommended such agreement is reviewed by attorneys before filing with the court. After review, the agreement is filed with the court for approval and therefore can be enforced as a Order of the Court.
Mediation is confidential.
The court knows no details of the process of mediation itself, it only knows the outcome - either as an agreement or not. Each case is different. Some cases take longer to settle issues than others. The average time for mediation is approximately six hours. Generally, costs for mediation are divided and each party is responsible for half of the total fees.