In short, no you don’t. What does help is if you come to the mediation with an open mind. If relations have become hostile you do not even have to sit at the same table or be in the same room.
At Laceys Mediation we have resolved long standing disputes where the parties have had to have separate arrival and departure times and be in different rooms because of court injunctions forbidding direct contact between the parties. Interestingly, going through the process can often help to make future relationships more constructive and manageable which can be so very important where young children are involved.
