What to Look For in a Mediator

"It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what you should be talking to a mediator about," says John Owens, veterinary attorney at the Law Offices of John Owens, LLC.

"There's a lot of characteristics you should look for. And to some extent, it depends on the type of mediation you're looking for. Depending on the situation, certain mediators may be better suited than others. If you're using it, though, as a practice tool and inviting a mediator to your practice to assist you, you should look for a couple of factors—whether or not they're certified, especially if this is an issue that could potentially become a litigation issue, the certified mediator tends to have better training and maintains that training much like other professionals would require CE; you should look for how long they've been a mediator; their success rates, some mediators are very successful, some are not so successful; and you should ask about the style of mediation they use, certain styles are less conducive to solving problems than others. They're more conducive to litigation than true problem solving."