I love mediation, for when hearts are willing to listen, the table itself begins to speak the language of peace, understanding, and resolution:

Anindya Kumar Bhattacharya

May 18, 2026   

Aspect	Mediation	Arbitration	Litigation
Nature of Process	Collaborative and consensual	Adjudicatory but private	Adversarial and formal
Decision Making	Parties decide settlement themselves	Arbitrator gives binding award	Judge imposes binding judgment
Time Required	Days or weeks	Months to years	Often several years
Cost	Low and economical	Moderate to high	Very expensive
Confidentiality	Completely confidential	Generally confidential	Public court records
Flexibility	Highly flexible procedures	Limited flexibility	Strict procedural laws
Preservation of Relationships	Strongly preserved	Partially preserved	Often severely damaged
Scope for Creative Solutions	Very high	Limited to legal claims	Restricted by legal remedies
Emotional Stress	Minimal and cooperative	Moderate	High and confrontational
Compliance Rate	Higher due to voluntary settlement	Enforceable but sometimes resisted	Often challenged through appeals
Appeal/Challenge	Rarely challenged	Can be challenged in courts	Multiple appeals possible
Role in Business Environment	Promotes ease of doing business	Useful for commercial disputes	Often delays business decisions
Public Image	Win-win approach	Winner-loser approach	Highly adversarial

 

The celebrated observation by negotiation expert Joseph Grynbaum - “An ounce of mediation is worth a pound of arbitration and a ton of litigation” - beautifully captures the wisdom of resolving disputes at the earliest and most cooperative stage possible. Mediation requires only a small investment of time, money, and emotional energy because it encourages dialogue, understanding, and voluntary settlement between parties before hostility deepens. Arbitration, though less formal than court proceedings, still involves legal procedures, costs, and a win-lose outcome imposed by a third party. Litigation, on the other hand, often becomes lengthy, expensive, adversarial, and emotionally exhausting, sometimes damaging relationships beyond repair. Grynbaum’s metaphor therefore emphasizes that a little effort spent in mediation can prevent enormous financial, psychological, and social costs later, making mediation not merely a legal tool but a humane and practical path to peace and justice.

   (Tripurainfo)

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