It is an attempt, by a disinterested third party, a mediator, to bring about an agreement on contested issues in a family law case, such as a divorce, paternity case, adoption, custody case etc. A mediator makes no decisions.
Mediation is successful if, with the aid of the mediator, the parties reach an agreement.
If there is no agreement the parties must continue in the litigation. The weaker partner in the relationship. Settlements are made when both parties have equal negotiating and financial power and equal access to financial information, but that doesn t happen often. A good lawyer is a way of balancing the scales. A mediator should make up the imbalance between the parties, but the danger is that the mediator will want the mediation to succeed and the best way for it to succeed is for the mediator to side with the stronger party.