What is Mediation?
Thank you for your interest in the mediation process with Maine Family and Community Mediation. Mediations are informal, confidential, and open conversations about the matters that are important to you. Mediators help people discuss and hopefully resolve issues they have not been able to solve on their own. Mediations help to build and sustain positive, supportive, and healthy relationships and can help diffuse conflicts to strengthen family and community systems. Mediations are held in a safe, supportive, and confidential environment.
If all parties are willing to mediate, we will be able to coordinate with experienced mediators to set up a date and time that works for everyone, in order to work toward a resolution of your issues. The cost of each mediation session is $150 per person. Payment will be collected prior to the mediation and a refund of 50% will be issued if either party chooses to cancel the mediation. If you are interested in learning about financial assistance please inquire about our grant-funded scholarships.
What is the process if I am interested in scheduling a mediation?
Please reach out to the other party/parties involved in the dispute and see if they are willing to participate in a mediation with Family and Community Mediation.
If the other party is willing to mediate, please submit a Request for Mediation Form (we are currently not accepting new mediation requests at this time) through our website. This form will ask you to provide contact information as well as some general information about the issues to be mediated.
Someone from Family and Community Mediation will reach out to you by email within 3 business days and provide you with an intake form which will ask you to share more detailed information about the issues to be mediated, as well as your availability and the contact information for the other party. This form is also where you can request financial assistance if needed.
Once Family and Community Mediation receives your completed intake form, we will reach out to the other party to confirm if they are willing to mediate and to gather their intake information, including availability.
After we have received intake and availability information for both parties, we will reach out to our roster of mediators to find two mediators who are available at an agreeable time for both parties.
We will contact both parties by email with a date and time for mediation, as well as instructions for paying the fee. Mediation fees are due before the mediation takes place. Again, if one party chooses to cancel, 50% of the fee will be refunded.
Qualities of the Mediation Process
Voluntary - You can leave at any time for any reason, or no reason.
Collaborative - Since participation is voluntary, parties are more likely to engage in constructive problem solving.
Self-Determination - Participants have final decision-making and veto power.
Confidential - Mediation discussions and all materials developed for a mediation are generally not admissible in court.
Informed - The mediation process allows and encourages participants to obtain legal and expert advice to assist in decision-making.
Impartial - The mediator is a neutral 3rd party and has no decision making authority. The mediator's role is to ensure that parties reach agreements in a voluntarily and informed manner, without coercion or intimidation.
Effective - Compared to court options, the mediation process is more likely to produce outcomes that are mutually satisfying and sustainable.
Benefits of Mediation
Although every mediation is different and outcomes vary, generally mediation has multiple benefits and is seen as a more approachable and satisfactory way to resolve conflict in a relationship.
Economical - Mediation is generally less expensive than litigation.
Fast - Scheduling a mediation (or even a series of complicated mediations) provides a more condensed timeline than waiting for court dates and appeals. This is advantageous to those in conflict who “want to get on with their life.”
Compliance - Parties who have reached their own agreement in mediation are more likely to comply with its terms rather than those imposed by a third party decision-maker such as a judge or adjudicator.
Comprehensive/Customizable - Parties can tailor their settlement to their particular situation.
Predictable - By negotiating their own settlements, participants have more control over the outcome of their dispute. Gains and losses are more predictable in a mediated settlement than they would be if a case is arbitrated or adjudicated.
Empowerment - Negotiating your own settlement during the mediation process provides a forum for exercising self determination.
Preserve Relationship/Amicable Ending - During mediation, participants have the opportunity to “be seen and heard.” Each participant’s interests are heard by the other and jointly considered in a settlement decision. This constructive and effective communication skill can extend beyond the mediation into future joint decision making. The process also allows for an amicable ending to a relationship by offering closure to the participants.
Workable - Since parties tailor their settlement to their particular situation, they can implement realistic procedures. This keeps expectations “do-able” for everyone, increasing the likelihood of ongoing compliance.