Formal versus Informal
The roles of many, perhaps most third parties are defined on the basis of some formal understanding among the disputants or on the basis of legal precedents or licensing and certi- fication procedures. Third-party roles are effective to the extent that they are acknowledged by the disputants as implying a legitimate right to be in the business of resolving conflicts. Formal roles include professional mediator, arbitrator, or ombudsperson. However, a variety of informal hird-party roles exist, such as a friend who intervenes in a marriage dispute.