It is a private, flexible process where the parties and the mediator work together to find a workable solution to the issues between the disputants. The parties, not the mediator make the decisions concerning terms of any emerging agreement. The mediator helps the parties to talk about the important considerations that need to be attended to in the process for resolving the dispute. The parties identify the issues that are important to them, where agreement lies, and the mediator helps them to work on ways to find the best solution. Where an agreement has legal or financial ramifications, lawyer and financial services consultations are strongly encouraged.