4 Ways of Mediation and Their Respective Benefits

Most often, conflicts end relationships, whether it be romantic, platonic, or professional. There are ways to repair a relationship and find a working solution through mediation.

Here’s how the legal dictionary describes mediation: “Mediation is the attempt to settle a legal dispute through active participation.”

Here are the four different ways of mediation and how each can benefit parties going through a conflict.

Facilitative Mediation

Facilitative mediation leaves the decision up to the parties involved in the conflict. The mediator can’t make decisions since the parties know what they want. Essentially, the facilitative style encourages the parties to make decisions with the best chance to resolve conflicts.

The role of the mediator is to facilitate the structure for the parties to come to a mutually agreeable solution. The mediation sessions start individually before moving on to joint sessions for open and direct communication.

This approach can help resolve conflicts within families, communities, between colleagues, and even clients. This approach promotes a greater chance of improving relationships through a win-win decision.

Evaluative Mediation

Evaluative mediation is typically done by legal professionals, like family law solicitors, who have the expertise. They evaluate and inform the parties about their case’s strengths and weaknesses concerning their legal positions. They can also advise the parties to help them settle the issue.

This approach encourages an equitable arrangement as an effective and more affordable substitute for legal action.

This approach is best used for contract and business disputes where a compromise is needed.

Transformative Mediation

This style is less structured to deal with the interpersonal factors between the parties – empowerment and recognition. The mediator’s goal is to empower and encourage both parties to make decisions and take action. Simultaneously, they promote and develop recognition among the parties.

The process tends to be organic and highly sensitive to the needs of all the parties involved. The parties aren’t just in charge of making the decisions but also of the subject matter and the process.

The mediator’s role here is to support them while they explore the conflict and repair the relationship through communication.

Narrative Mediation

Narrative mediation approaches conflict resolution very differently. It focuses on the parties’ understanding of the conflict more than negotiations.

The parties share their experiences of conflict (fights, arguments, etc.) to understand and help the other party understand. By explaining their reality and invoking empathy within each other, the parties can see each other’s efforts to make amends.

Narrative mediation approaches the conflict as an opportunity for the parties to express a problem about each other or the relationship. The mediator reorients the parties’ goals to reset the narrative of the relationship to create newer and better experiences.

Whether you’re looking for someone to mediate partnership disputes or to help you get a legal separation, our solicitors can help.

At Wembley Solicitors, our experienced solicitors will help resolve your legal issues effectively.

Visit our website or give us a ring.