A lot goes on behind the scenes. Once initial consultations (free) and intake sessions are completed, we ask all of our clients to supply us with a written outline of their issues and copies of relevant documents. We also ask them the provide us with some ideas about what they hope to achieve; what a good result might look like for them.

We then review all of the material before the mediation so we have some understanding of:

• What happened or caused the conflict
• What they have each done in an attempt to resolve it; what worked and what didn’t
• Possible solutions from their perspective
• Whether legal/financial/social/other services might be needed for the parties to achieve resolution.

Of course, it takes time but is a very interesting part of the process. It helps us get the know the parties a little better, and get a feel for what questions to ask about the issues and how the mediation will proceed on the scheduled day/s.

It also assists the parties to clarify their issues and possible outcomes, so they are well prepared.