This just in from Sydney,  Australia. 

I imagine the results are as good or better here in the States, particularly in Los Angeles where mediation practice is both broad and deep.

Couples, families choosing mediation in battle of wills

DE FACTO couples disputing about property after splitting up, and siblings fighting over their parents' wills, are increasingly using mediation rather than dragging their battles through the court system.

The latest figures show that NSW Supreme Court registrars had done as many mediations in the first half of this year as they had done in total last year as people realised they could sort out their disputes on their own terms, in privacy, rather than in front of a judge, the Attorney-General, John Hatzistergos, said.

Most disputes were resolved without going any further, freeing up courts and judges for other matters, he said. "It is very encouraging that so far this year 59 per cent of the mediation sessions have concluded with the litigants resolving their dispute," Mr Hatzistergos said.

"Mediation ensures cases . . . . continue reading here.