Obviously, you need to be prepared to discuss the details of your case. Have quick access to needed information. No filing fee is required upon initial submission of a case. In many cases, the parties agree to divide the mediation costs, although it is not uncommon for one party to pay the entire cost. There must be a clear fee agreement prior to the mediation session taking place.
Arbitration involves the presentation of evidence to an arbitrator for a legally binding decision.
In a judicial settlement conference, parties submit informal evidence to a judge for an advisory decision. However, any time an outside party is rendering an opinion, particularly about case value, there is a risk that one party will strongly disagree with the opinion and the other party will be locked in to a settlement at that figure. This can actually impair further settlement efforts. Remember that almost every case settles anyway, so the role of the neutral should be to help parties move toward settlement. For this reason, mediation is often preferred to arbitration or settlement conferences.