ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to describe the practice of family mediation and to place the practice in the context of the rise of alternative dispute resolution generally. Mediation has been described as a process by which the participants, together with the assistance of a neutral person or persons, systematically isolate issues in order to develop options, consider alternatives and reach a consensual settlement that will accommodate their needs.1 In examining the forms of mediation, this chapter seeks to elaborate on this description and illustrate the rich variety in practice, which is not reflected in any definition of the procedure.
