While mediation is often available for free from community based agencies, these mediations are usually for neighborhood and landlord-tenant disputes. Most commercially based mediations are conducted by highly trained professionals. There may be extra charges for opening a case, cancellation fees, and travel fees and expenses depending on the particular mediator or firm. The costs of mediation are usually split evenly between the parties, ensuring a sense of fairplay and avoiding any bias on the part of the mediator. Sometimes however, one party will offer to pay for the entire mediation as a way of encouraging the other party to participate.
Parties can make fee agreements which are quite creative, and they are free to do so.
Some parties will even agree to pay the entire fee only if agreement is reached. Such a fee agreement further serves as an incentive to reach agreement. While the mediators fee may equal or exceed an attorneys hourly fee, remember that the mediation is usually conducted in less than one day, usually results in a full resolution of the dispute limiting any further costs or legal fees to the parties, and is shared by all parties to the dispute.