Mediations only work if
the parties are prepared. To prepare, parties need to:
make sure that they and
their lawyers (if they have lawyers) are thoroughly
informed about the case. This includes reading all the
documents that have been filed by all of the parties;
discuss with their lawyers
(if they have lawyers) what the result could be if the
case is heard by a Judge;
think about how they could negotiate
to settle the case. What kind of compromises could be
made?;
be aware of their own
legal expenses and their ability to pay them;
be aware of the fact that they
may have to pay the legal expenses of the other parties
if the case is heard by a Judge and they are not successful.
For cases where they are
asking other parties to pay money, make sure that they
have documents which justify the amount of money that
they are asking for.
