Advantages

The advantages of mediation over court proceedings:

• Cost effectiveness – Mediation generally costs substantially less than court proceedings.
• Time saving – Mediation can resolve complex disputes in as little as two days. There are no court waiting lists or adjournments.
• Independence – The parties to the mediation control the process, and the outcome. No agreement or solution will be imposed, it is created by the parties.
• Preservation of relationships and confidentiality – Mediation is a lot less destructive to private and commercial relationships as disclosure is limited to the mediator and the parties. Confidentiality is one of the cornerstones of mediation. Even if the dispute does later end up in court, none of the content of the mediation can be disclosed.
• Creativity – Mediation is a much more flexible way of resolving disputes than going to court, as the parties can be creative about how they wish to come to an agreement, rather than the court being limited to the solutions that the law has laid out for that type of dispute.