We’ve Got Answers: Your Questions About Mediation Part Two

Q: Will the mediator decide my case?

A: No. Although mediators are usually lawyers, and often retired judges, they serve in neither capacity in the mediation process. The role of a mediator is to aid the adverse parties in facilitating an agreed settlement. Mediators don’t decide cases. They’re not even permitted to give legal advice to the parties. Their job is to remain neutral and to provide guidance in helping the parties to find their way to common ground and resolution of their dispute.

Gary Schaaf has been a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediator since 1995. He can be reached for scheduling at gschaaf@beckerlawyers.com or by phone at (813) 527-3912, and you can read more about his background here.