Mediation has become a popular alternative to court proceedings, with mediators resolving disputes of all kinds ranging from private family matters to the very public NFL lockout .  But there is still a significant amount of confusion about what is mediation and what can a mediator do for you.  Some of the most common misconceptions follow: 1. Mediation is NOT Arbitration! Many people assume that the purpose of a mediation is to have a trained third party help them make decisions by choosing a solution when they can't agree, and this misconception has been popularized by shows like Untying the Knot .  Bravo TV's show about a New Jersey divorce attorney and mediator, Vikki Ziegler, follows one issue (usually property division) through brief evaluation and "recommendation" sessions. In order to be able to fit the resolution of an issue into a half hour of drama, the show has a formula based on Vikki pushing the spouses to settle their disputes by making a "...