An annual audit of the mediation profession carried out by CEDR reports that the overall settlement rate for mediation is 93%. This can give people confidence that if they mediate they have a very good chance of resolving their dispute on the day or soon afterwards. On the day itself over 70% of cases are resolved.
Also more people are mediating: For the year to 31 March 2020 the civil and commercial mediations increased to 16,500 cases per annum – an increase in cases mediated from 2018 when 12,000 mediations reportedly were carried out.
This represents a 38% increase. In 2003, the first CEDR audit reported just under 2,000 mediations.
CEDR reports a 4% increase to 93% in overall settlement rate compared with 2018 (89%). Our question is will the increased pressure to mediate that is being predicted affects this impressive statistic.
72% of cases settled on the day, with a further 21% settling shortly after the mediation.
CEDR’s own statistics show at circa 90% settlement rate for online mediations, so it is equally successful.
Following the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, there was a 35% drop in cases mediated between March and September 2020. Unsurprisingly of the mediations conducted during that period, 89% were online.
We agree with CEDR that this is likely to become the new normal going forwards once people appreciate how easy it is to mediate online. Now that the regulations are being relaxed we are still seeing parties requesting remote mediation. The only exception in our experience is boundary disputes.