Mediation, one of the forms of conciliation of the parties, has acquired the character of a successful guide to the world of harmony. However, several barriers prevented the proper implementation of the mediation. In-depth research on mediation is needed to find a way to overcome the mentioned barriers. This paper aims to analyze mediation as a modern legal institution, defining its genesis, types, principles, and sources. To achieve this, the author used retrospective analysis to illustrate the peculiarities of the genesis of the concept of mediation, a systemic approach to study the implementation of the idea of mediation in different legal systems, and comparative legal analysis to show the development of the concept in various countries. The article reveals its formation, points of support and opportunities for resolving legal conflicts (disputes). The basic principles on which the mediation procedure is based and what actions the mediator performs are concretized, including in the form of principles and stages of mediation.