Evaluative mediation is a style in which the mediator provides their assessment of the relative strength of each party's legal position, the likely range of outcomes at trial, and the risks and weaknesses in each side's case. The mediator's evaluation is intended to reality-test positions and move parties toward a realistic resolution.

Evaluative mediation works well in cases where one or both parties have unrealistic expectations about what they could get at trial. A mediator with judicial experience or deep family law expertise can provide a credible reality check.

Tali Best Collins brings her experience as a Judge Pro Tem in Maricopa County Superior Court to evaluative mediation she has seen these cases from the bench and understands what judges actually do with these facts.