Parties are having difficulty contacting each other, convening a meeting, or starting talks Disputants cannot reach agreement on an acceptable forum or structure for negotiations Parties' emotions or expression of negative feelings about the situation or toward each other are intense and are preventing a focused or calm discussion or agreement There is a significant lack of trust and respect between or among disputants that is hindering productive talks #trust Communication between parties is poor in quantity or quality, and they cannot improve it on their own Misperceptions or stereotypes are hindering productive exchanges Repetitive negative behaviors by one or more disputants are creating barriers to effective communication or problem solving There are serious disagreements between or among parties over data—what information is important, how it is collected, and how it is evaluated There are multiple issues in dispute, and disputants disagree about whether or how each should be addressed or resolved Disputants are stuck in bargaining over positions, each of their preferred solutions, and are unable to identify each other's interests and develop mutually acceptable interest-based solutions There is only one contested issue and parties cannot find a way to divide it into multiple smaller ones, each of which could potentially be addressed and solved, or to find other issues or items of value to trade There are multiple issues in dispute and disputants are trying to resolve them one at a time, rather than linking issues and exchanges or developing a package agreement in which costs and benefits are shared in a mutually acceptable manner There are perceived or actual incompatible interests that parties are having difficulty reconciling Perceived or actual beliefs or differences over values divide disputants Parties do not have an effective negotiating process, are using the wrong one, or are not using a potentially viable procedure to its best advantage Disputants are reluctant to settle because they fear creating or not creating a precedent for settlement of similar disputes in the future Parties are feeling pressure not to settle from circumstances or parties beyond those in negotiations Disputants are reluctant to commit to an agreement because of potential unknowns, risks, or potential changed circumstances in the future Parties lack trust in each other and are concerned that the settlement will not be implemented as agreed Source page 28-29 [[The Mediation Process 4th ed by Christopher W Moore]]