JAMS neutral Glenda Sanders does her best to emphasize the voluntary nature of mediation early in the process.
"I think that's important because the court process is not voluntary," Sanders said. "You're dragged in through being sued - or feeling you have to sue - and then it unfolds in a way over which you have virtually no control. So, I try to emphasize that it is voluntary, and no one's going to force them to settle."