During all mediation sessions, the parties will agree to conduct themselves in accordance with these Guidelines:
- We agree not to use any electronic devices (cell phones, tablets, laptops, etc) without the consent of the other party and the consent of the Mediator
- We agree to take turns speaking and not to interrupt each other
- We agree to listen respectfully to each other and sincerely try to understand the other person’s point of view
- We agree not to blame, attack, or engage in put-downs
- We agree to ask questions of each other so we can gain clarity and understanding
- We agree not to take inflexible positions and instead to express ourselves in terms of our personal needs and interests and the outcomes that we wish to realize
- We agree to use our mediation time to work toward what we perceive to be our fairest and most constructive agreement possible
- We agree to speak up if something is not working for us in mediation
- We agree to request a break when we need one
- We agree to speak up if we feel the Mediator is not being impartial and neutral
- We agree to be prepared with some ideas for solutions to problems
- We agree to consider we might be mistaken about something, might be missing something, or may have made an incorrect assumption
- We agree to be aware of time limits during mediation
- We agree not to be under the influence or impaired by alcohol or drugs during mediation