What mediation offers
at the pre-trial
stage is a guaranteed opportunity for all decision - makers to come together to review where a
claim has reached and to check whether they can not or do not want to settle then, dealing with any communication breakdown so typical even now
of litigation, and honestly reviewing and balancing the risks
of ongoing investment
of time and cost against any shortfall in available information — indeed often remedying that shortfall within the mediation
process anyway.