The following are some of the advantages which mediation has over litigation: (a) in litigation it is the Court that has exclusive control of both the procedure and the outcome. In mediation, the parties retain full control of their dispute and it is they who are responsible to work together in order to reach a settlement. Whilst mediation attempts to provide a win/win outcome, litigation, is by its nature, a win/lose process; (b) mediation is far less costly than litigation and is a much faster process. Civil lawsuits very often take years to be concluded whilst the whole mediation process may be completed within a few weeks, or even in a matter of a few days; (c) Court proceedings are held in public whereas mediation proceedings are held in private and are strictly confidential; (d) it is very seldom for any form of friendship or cooperation to continue to exist between parties that end up in Court. Where agreement is reached through mediation, the parties get to understand each other better and the pre-existing business or other relationships that prevailed prior to the dispute are normally restored.