Mediation is a method of alternative dispute resolution that encourages parties to resolve issues in a non-adversarial way with the help of a trained, neutral mediator. Mediation may be with or without the participation of attorneys, depending on the preference of the parties, and the stage in the process at which mediation is initiated.

Source: North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission pamphlet “Mediated Settlement Conferences in Equitable Distribution and Other Family Financial Cases”
Attribution: Chief Justice Sarah E. Parker, Supreme Court of North Carolina, Judge W. David Lee, Chairman, North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission