Mediation is a cooperative Peacemaking Process that relies upon a neutral professional to help you and the parties reach agreement outside of court. A Mediator works as a professional, neutral third-party to help you and the other party communicate clearly, negotiate effectively, and reach agreement based upon unique solutions to your issues. By guiding clear communication between the parties, a Mediator helps to unambiguously identify what each party needs and wants. Once both parties’ interests are on the table, a Mediator helps the parties to focus on their goals, and then to negotiate toward potential solutions. A Mediator can help you and the other party find unique solutions to your problems that take your needs, interests, and goals into account. Negotiated solutions to legal issues often help to address the underlying conflict between the parties, which leads to long-term solutions.