What should I look for in a mediator?

Parties normally select a mediator based on the mediator’s style and experience.Parties should always select a mediator who has professional accreditation, follows a code of conduct and has professional indemnity insurance.

There are several qualities that parties can look for in selecting a mediator.

At a minimum, parties should only work with a mediator who is:

• Professionally accredited in Mediation (meaning that they have taken a recognised professional mediation qualification and reached certification);
• Follows a recognised code of Conduct such as the CEDR Code of Conduct for Third Party neutrals; and
• Has professional indemnity insurance and a complaints procedure. All of CEDR’s mediators have these requirements.

Parties should then look for mediators by considering the experience and style of the mediator. Most mediators have specialist areas and they may have experience in resolving a number of cases in a particular area. There are also different personal styles of different mediators – a party may find they want a more relaxed style or alternatively, one that is more formal. Mediator Profiles will describe the style of the mediator.

A common way to select a mediator is to contact CEDR and request suggestions for mediators. CEDR will review the type of case and then be able to suggest a shortlist of mediators for the parties to review and select from.

You may also have recommendations from friends or colleagues as to mediators that they have worked with. These can be very helpful. It is important, though, when looking at any recommendation to think about what works for you and remembering that each case is different.

Finally, it is worth remembering that mediators are process experts and are used to working with a wide range of parties and styles, and will adapt to work effectively with each party. Therefore, if a mediator has been suggested to you by an organisation like CEDR, they will be competent to mediate the dispute and handle your case.