Mediation affords the participants an enhanced opportunity to be heard. The parties determine for themselves what is important, ultimately dictating the outcome of the mediation.
The self-determination aspect of mediation empowers the parties to decide for themselves whether and how they would like to resolve the dispute at hand.
Mediation can significantly reduce the amount of time spent resolving conflicts and can provide opportunities that otherwise may not have been available through the the traditional judicial system.
Participants in mediation save an enormous amount of time, energy, attorney fees, court costs, and other expenses affiliated with litigation.
Where lawsuits are matters of public record, what transpires at mediation is confidential. Regardless of whether mediation occurs before or during a lawsuit, communication generated during the mediation is confidential and may not be used as evidence against the parties in any judicial proceeding. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Title 7, Chapter 154, Section 154.073.
Studies show that parties entering into voluntary agreements through mediation are far more likely to adhere to and fulfill commitments made in such agreements than they are with judicially imposed resolutions. Mediated agreements better represent each party's interest because the parties have the freedom to prioritize their interests and pursue what they hold important to them.