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How mediation works |
Mediation helps people who are involved
in a dispute reach a mutually acceptable agreement
Mediation is:
… an alternative to litigation
… affordable
… confidential
… voluntary
… an opportunity for each party to listen and communicate
… safe and non-adversarial
… a chance for people to exercise their right to work out a solution
they can live with
How it works:
Each party speaks with a representative of the Martha's
Vineyard Mediation Program and agrees to participate in the process.
During the mediation, each party has an opportunity to explain the
dispute, discuss the issues, and understand the other person's position.
Trained mediators help people focus on the issues.
The mediators help the parties find workable solutions, but they
don't decide who's right or who's wrong.
If the parties reach an agreement, the mediators help write it up.
If the parties do not reach a settlement or sign an agreement that
is not honored, the individuals involved still have the option of
taking their dispute to court.
What it can accomplish:
Most mediations end in agreement.
Mediated agreements are honored more often than those that are court-ordered.
People can settle disputes in a peaceful, constructive way.
Comments from
Vineyard residents who have used mediation:
"It was amazing. We were able to vent, have our feelings validated
and then get reinforcement on the topics we needed to discuss and
make decisions on."
"I think it's a great process to help reach an agreement - and less
stressful."
"What surprised me the most was that I had altruistic feelings instead
of feeling angry and scared, like I would in court."
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