In this article, our Champaign County child custody attorney Kevin O'Flaherty explains the process of mediation. Mediation is a way for parties to come to an agreement on child-related issues with the help of a neutral third party mediator. This can help parties define the issues, facilitate communication between parties, and help the parties reach mutually acceptable solutions. Mediation can be undertaken voluntarily or under a court order. It is important to have a lawyer present, especially when there is an imbalance of power between the mediating parties. If you are successful in reaching an agreement, your attorney will file the results with the court in order to reach a final order in the case without the necessity for litigation.