At its core, mediation is a voluntary process. However, many court systems and individual judges will mandate mediation for a number of reasons. First, mediation is often effective, and can relieve the burden on the court system. It has also been found that when families design their own agreements, they often last longer and work better than those orders handed down by a third-party.
If you have been ordered to mediate, we encourage clients to attend the mediation session prepared and to put forth a good-faith effort to reach a resolution. However, you are NOT required to reach a resolution.