There are five steps of professional debt mediation, including:

• introduction: assessing whether mediation is a good option or not by introducing both parties to each other and assessing whether the procedure is affordable and favorable to either. 
• evaluation: assessing whether mediation is an affordable option based on the debtor’s general financial status.
• strategy of negotiation: looking at the facts of the situation and figuring out what the real issue is and why the debt has not been paid. From here, mediators can go about planning a negotiation, especially as it benefits both parties. 
• negotiation: the actual negotiation is then offered as a means of reaching a settlement between the parties. It is meant to influence each party towards reaching an agreement. 
• settlement: reaching an agreement about the financial objective towards which both parties can actively work.