"Where in litigation anything said by a party is a weapon, in mediation there is the shield of confidentiality.  Where in litigation there is cunning, in mediation there is candor.  Where communication between parties in litigation confronts a wall, in mediation there is a corridor.  Where in litigation there is a tendency towards hyperbole, in mediation there is the pressure for realism.  Where in litigation there is delay, in mediation there is the reward of speed. Where in litigation actions must be taken which only indirectly contribute to the end result, in mediation there is a concentrated focus on resolution of the dispute itself."

"In mediation, litigants find the last, best chance for resolving differences without abdicating their power to control the result. As a consequence, mediation serves the human need for communication, control, security, conservation of resources, and peace."

From "A Meditation on Mediation,"

 Washington State Bar News,