What is the difference between court-ordered mediation and private mediation?
As its name implies, court-ordered mediation is conducted under the sponsorship of a court. It usually involves only child custody and visitation issues. Rarely are financial issues addressed in court-ordered mediation. There is often no fee charged for court-ordered mediation, whereas private mediators usually charge an hourly or per-session fee. The mediator in a court-sponsored program often makes a report to the court. Private mediation is usually confidential.
