Phone mediation looks simple on paper. Two parties, two support persons, one mediator, one line.

Then the unexpected starts to arrive. A voice you did not invite. A role that shifts under your feet. A duty invoked mid-session. A request for a private word after the agreement is signed.

In the next session of The Mediator’s Dilemma, Judith and Ana will walk practitioners through a complex phone mediation between two neighbours, one that tests the mediator at every turn.

What you’ll explore

• How information you did not expect can change the shape of the process
• The line between supporting and participating
• What to do when a party threatens to reveal information shared by the other party in mediation.
• When the mediation is over, and when it isn’t

Who it’s for

Workplace mediators, restorative justice practitioners, family and community mediators, conflict coaches, and anyone who works at the intersection of conflict, ethics, and human messiness. The session is interactive. Participants are invited to think out loud, disagree, and revisit their answers as new information surfaces.

About the series

The Mediator’s Dilemma is an interactive event series for mediation professionals, inspired by the Hypotheticals format pioneered by Geoffrey Robertson. Each session presents real-world scenarios that challenge assumptions about neutrality, professional boundaries, and ethical decision-making. There are no clear right answers. There are better questions.