llinois law mandates that mediation take place in divorce and family cases when parties have no agreement concerning their children.  Each circuit in Illinois maintains local rules that indicate the minimum amount of time that parties must take part in such mediation, which is commonly 3-4 hours. The purpose is to assist parents in developing or modifying a Parenting Plan involving their children.
In most cases, the court will enter an order indicating the name of the mediator to be used, when the contact with the mediator must be made, the payment arrangements for the fees, and the date for the parties and/or their attorneys to return to court for a status hearing on the results of mediation.

Where the parties already have a Parenting Plan but have a dispute about an issue, mediation is typically required for dispute resolution. There may be no order for each occasion when the parties need to attend mediation for that purpose.  Similarly, parties may have disputes in other cases involving children such as guardianships and they may schedule mediation without a court order.

Occasionally, the court will find that there is an impediment that keeps parties from attending mediation.  Impediments may include but not be limited to Orders of Protection entered between the parties. Still, even in such situations, mediation is often ordered as safety measures can be implemented.
Twila Russell Orr has both basic and advanced mediation certifications. She typically handles more than 150 mediations involving minor children each year and has for more than 25 years. Her assistant works with the parties to arrange a mediation session, most of which take place in person in her office.  There are some occasions under which Zoom, telephone conference calls, or Facetime sessions are allowed.

Kimberly G. Koester is a mediator in cases that do not always involve minor children.  She is the former Chief Judge of the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Illinois with substantial experience in both deciding cases and assisting litigants is resolving disputes.

While mediation is civil cases is not typically mandated by statute, it is a process by which litigants can be assisted in reaching a mutually acceptable agreement.  Many circuits have local rules that address civil mediation. It is informal and non-adversarial.  The mediator assists the parties in clarifying the issues and addressing settlement options.

Common cases for civil mediation include but are not limited to probate/estate, business, construction, personal injury, chancery, contract, and other disputes.  Kim also mediates property and debt division issues in divorce matters including maintenance matters.

At trial, one side often wins and the other side loses.  Each side often has legal counsel and the financial cost is high. Sometimes there are appeals even when the trial concludes.  Mediation offers a method by which parties can avoid the expensive cost of litigation and also the unknown outcome of a case. Mediation can avoid the lengthy wait for results. It is non-adversarial, structured, confidential, and allows parties a role in determining the outcome of their cases.