(a) Purpose. The Circuit Court establishes these Civil Complaint mediation rules to increase access to justice; to increase parties’ satisfaction with the outcome; to reduce future litigation by the same parties; to make more efficient use of judicial resources; and to expand dispute resolution resources available to the parties.
(b) Definitions. For the purpose of this rule, the following definitions apply.
(1) Mediation. Mediation is a process in which a mediator facilitates settlement discussions between parties.
(A) The mediator has no authority to make a decision or impose a settlement upon the parties.
(B) The mediator attempts to focus the attention of the parties upon their needs and interests rather than upon their rights and positions.
(C