Many question whether mediation is not unduly subject to the unequal bargaining power of the respective parties involved. There are other problems and limits to mediation. Some disputes are not amenable to mediation. One cannot negotiate everything. Either we believe in God, capital punishment, and a woman's right to have an abortion or we do not.
Mediation normally involves dealing directly with the other party.
Some people find this too compromising, difficult, frightening, or painful and cannot or will not have their case mediated. However valuable, mediation is one form of dispute resolution, and it does not replace the need for a formal system of justice. As a new field, family mediation lacks licensure or registration. Some people question whether it is or ought to be regarded as a separate profession. Tuff questions abound.