Business is booming in the commercial mediation market, according to the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution’s (CEDR) biennial report.
The 2018 CEDR Mediation Audit found that 12,000 commercial mediations (not counting small claims mediations) took place in the past 12 months, a rise of 20% on 2016. The total value of claims mediated was £11.5bn.
Organised systems of mediation such as those supported by NHS Resolution showed the most growth—a rise of 45% in the past two years to account for about 4,500 cases. Slower growth of 9% was recorded for ad hoc referrals of individual cases.
Overall, success rates remained high, with 74% of cases achieving settlement on the day and a further 15% settling shortly after mediation took place.
Graham Massie, CEDR director, said: ‘The vast majority [of law firms] have espoused the mediation approach as part of their professional skillset, and not only do a high proportion of lawyers perform very well in mediations, but many have become very successful mediators in their own right.’
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