Fees for mediation are billed on an hourly rate. The amount of time needed to reach a successful conclusion depends on the parties and complexity of the issues. The costs of mediation are generally less than the costs of litigation. Mediation usually preserves at least a civil relationship between the parties, where litigation usually destroys any future relationship. Mediated settlements are rarely appealed, but jury verdicts quite often are, adding more cost, time and uncertainty to the dispute.