How long do mediations take?

The short answer: The length of time to mediate varies and depends on the type of case and the issues in dispute, but planning for 2-4 hours is always best. The long answer: Mediation will never take as long as litigation, but it is process that can be lengthy. Mediation is condensing the work of months or years of litigation into a few hours, so one session it can be a time-consuming process. Participants should be prepared for a day of difficult decision-making, but will have the satisfaction of being in full control of the decision-making. Also, there are times were the mediator meets with the other side, so you will have separate times to plan and strategize. Progress can be appear slow as parties absorb and adapt to new information, and carefully test proposals before responding. In the end when you can plan and create your own solutions, the time is worth it. People planning even a short day of mediation should keep their calendars free of commitments following the mediation, and should be aware of the potential for the session to run much longer than expected. In cases where a lawsuit has been filed and attorneys are involved, scheduling a full day of mediation is common. In divorce cases where the parties are unrepresented (or “pro se”), we recommend breaking the issues up into two-hour blocks, to be mediated over the course of several sessions.