A mediator helps parties in conflict discover their own solutions to the problem. Agreements reached through mediation are commonly more durable because they are designed by the parties for mutual benefit.
People generally choose one of three ways to resolve conflicts: litigation, arbitration, or mediation. Litigation is by far the most expensive and puts one’s fate in the hands of third parties: lawyers, judges or juries. Similarly, arbitration relegates the outcome of a dispute to a third party: the arbitrator. Often, litigation and arbitration result in a situation where one party wins and one party loses. Mediation provides an approach that allows for both sides of a dispute to be satisfied by the outcome.