The mediator does not provide legal services or advice. The mediator is not a judge or arbitrator. The parties retain the responsibility for decision-making. The parties will not be forced to agree to anything they're not comfortable with. Each party must make a sincere effort to resolve the dispute.
Mediation is an informal process.
It works best if only the parties involved in the dispute are present during the mediation. Attorneys and other parties may attend only if their roles are clarified in advance and only if it is acceptable to to both parties. Mediation is a private process. The parties agree that the mediators will not be called to testify should future judicial proceedings occur in this case. If no agreement is reached in mediation, or if the terms of an agreement reached in mediation are not fulfilled, the parties agree that the court will retain jurisdiction over the case.