Mediation can be used to resolve a wide range of different types of disputes and ideally it should be used during the early stages of a dispute.

If mediation is not considered until late in proceedings it may not be effective as:

• The dispute will have escalated and the parties may have become entrenched in their views;
• The parties will have incurred costs and be reluctant to pursue an alternative.

Mediation works best when people are able to listen to each other, irrespective of their positions, and are willing to work with each other to find a solution to move forward.