Mediation is a private and confidential process utilized by parties involved in a lawsuit to determine if their claims can be resolved without having to risk the expense, stress and uncertainty of a trial.  It is a form of alternative dispute resolution that has grown very popular with courts, attorneys, and litigants over the last 25 years.  In a mediation, a third party, the mediator, meets with the parties and attempts to negotiate a settlement of the lawsuit.  Although mediation is often court ordered, the parties have the complete freedom to determine whether or not their case will be resolved.  Richard "Sonny" Martin has been mediating cases since 2000, when he became a certified by the Mediation Center of Kentucky.  He is a Kentucky Court of Justice Mediator and parties are often referred to him by the courts for mediation.