Mediation is a process where a neutral third party participant helps people in conflict negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. A mediator facilitates communication, promotes understanding, assists the parties to identify their needs and interests, and uses creative problem-solving techniques to enable the parties to reach their own agreement.
The benefits of mediation, such as our mediation services in Sydney, compared to a traditional lawsuit can be broken down into 6 fundamental parts:
Cost Savings
In most cases, mediation is vastly less expensive than a typical lawsuit. Hiring a mediator costs significantly less than hiring a lawyer, and combined with the much quicker turnaround, you’ll be paying less money over a shorter period of time. Win-win!
Time Savings
Mediation can usually start right away and can reach a resolution within a few weeks or months. Meanwhile, in-court cases can take months to schedule the first court appearance and can sometimes take years to resolve. When parties want to get on with their lives, mediation allows a more reasonable timetable for resolving a dispute.
Neutral Input
The mediator, who is hired by both sides and has no reason to favor either party, can bring a crucial point of view to the mediation process. Every party and every lawyer in a traditional lawsuit believes in their side of the case. Bringing realism to all parties’ view of their cases is one of the most important functions of a good mediator – maybe even the most important.
For more information on our mediation services in Sydney, visit our Mediation page here, read more about Family Dispute Resolution here – or, send us a message here.
Confidentiality
Unlike court cases, which are public, mediation is typically confidential. This means that your family or relationship matter remains private and you are able to disclose information without fear of it reaching the public eye. This reason alone can be a great reason to use mediation rather than file a lawsuit.
Preserves Relationships
One of the most overlooked benefits of mediation is that it can help preserve relationships that would likely be destroyed through years of litigation. Because it is a collaborative, rather than confrontational process, and because mediation isn’t inherently a win/lose process, important relationships can often be saved.
Perhaps you’re in need of some mediation in your workplace? Read more about our Commercial and Workplace Mediation Services Sydney today.
Control
In mediation, the parties are in control, unlike a traditional lawsuit. This means that the parties have a much greater say in negotiations and greater control over the outcome, and they don’t have to take the chance of what a judge or jury might decide.