d. Assistance during mediation

Section 7 of the Mediation Ordinance (Cap. 620) supports the process's flexibility by allowing parties to receive assistance from persons who are not Hong Kong lawyers. It provides that such assistance does not constitute a breach of sections 44, 45, or 47 of the Legal Practitioners Ordinance (Cap. 159), which generally penalize unqualified persons for acting as solicitors or barristers.

This means parties may be assisted by non-lawyer advisers, technical experts, foreign lawyers, or even supporters such as social workers and friends. This is particularly useful in community and peer mediation, as well as complex commercial or cross-border disputes where specialised non-legal expertise is required.