Mediations can happen anywhere where there is space and quiet. I once mediated outside under a tree when the electricity was cut to the court house. It made for a relaxing mediation.
Typically mediations occur in meeting rooms – perhaps your mediator will have their own space, or the lawyers representing the parties may offer their office space. There are also some professional spaces, which rent rooms for mediation.
If you are looking at where to hold your mediation, then you should look for a couple of things:
- Is there space for a joint session room and also separate caucus rooms for each side?
- Do the rooms have sufficient space? With whiteboards? Is the space purpose built for mediation? Or just for normal meetings?
- Are the rooms private? i.e. are the rooms sound proof? Can people outside the room see any information on the white board?
- Are the rooms comfortable and well designed? Do they enhance the chances that you will have a productive session? Or are they poorly lit and filled with uncomfortable furniture?
Don’t forget you may be in the mediation for several hours and you will want to be in an environment, which supports negotiation and collaboration.