Mediation is a settlement option in which the parties to a dispute use a trained mediator to assist the parties in voluntarily resolving their dispute. Any disputed issue can be submitted to mediation. It is not necessary for a lawsuit to be filed in order to participate in the mediation process. Typically, in private mediation, the parties to this process are in separate rooms and are accompanied by their lawyers, who can provide advice and guidance through the settlement process, and draft and review settlement documents. The mediator, who usually travels between the two rooms, is not permitted to provide legal advice to the participants, but does convey relevant information and helps craft options for settlement. The mediation session is confidential and inadmissible as evidence in court, and a mediator may not be called to testify at a hearing.
Contact Vitale Family Law at 919-841-5680 or by email the law firm for more about mediation and family law matters.