The mediator's spreadsheet made me rethink my whole approach

Sat in on a mediation in Tulsa last Tuesday and the mediator pulled up this giant cost-of-litigation spreadsheet, showing how 8 months of discovery would eat more than the settlement offer. I always figured fighting it out was the principle thing, but seeing the math laid out with real dollar amounts changed my mind. Anyone else had a mediator actually break down numbers like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

dakota_fox27d ago

Tbh, I had a mediator in Oklahoma City do the same thing back in March, and I nearly choked on my coffee when I saw the line item for expert witness fees alone, it was more than my first car. I walked in all "justice over dollars" and walked out realizing my pride was basically a luxury I couldn't afford. The funny part is, I used to brag about how stubborn I was in negotiations, turns out that's just a fancy way of saying I'm bad at math. Now I ask every mediator upfront if they've got a chart like that, because apparently I need a real number to slap some sense into me.

sean_martin4427d ago

Swapped my whole mindset after sitting through a similar mediation last spring. I walked in thinking the other side was just being difficult, like they were playing games with numbers to wear me down. Then the mediator pulled out the actual cost breakdown and I went quiet real fast. Seeing the total hourly rate for everyone in the room, plus the filing fees and the time I was taking off work, it hit me that my "standing my ground" was basically just me paying extra to be mad. I used to think asking for the full list was a sign of weakness, like I didn't trust the process. Now I ask for every single line item before we even book the room, and honestly it's saved me more than a few sleepless nights.