Court costs are substantial, but essentially it is the costs of lawyers that render it prohibitive.
The practice of mediation has in recent years developed as a low-cost alternative to litigation. Mediation is an informal process in which an independent and impartial person is appointed by the parties in conflict to facilitate communication of the issues and the needs of those involved without prejudicing their legal rights. Its application and utility to areas such as family law are obvious, but it is no less valuable in the area of substantial commercial disputes. Two hundred and eighteen cases, one-third of which were commercial disputes, were referred to a panel of mediators. That initiative gave a significant impetus to the expanding popularity of mediation.