Mediation is often a success for settling legal disputes and the Singapore International Mediation Centre has taken notice. The organization is now pushing for businesses to turn to mediation in a dispute, avoiding the expense of arbitration.

Business professionals frequently travel to Singapore to resolve disputes using arbitration. This is done by local companies and their foreign partners in an attempt to resolve conflicts in a neutral environment with experienced arbitrators.

Mediation, while new to the island, could be helpful in bringing these disputes to a faster and more efficient end.

The Singapore International Mediation Centre understands how important it is to preserve valuable business relationships, even when disputes arise. Their goal is to provide a platform for achieving this. The center was founded in the fall of 2014 and officials have recently begun promoting its services more aggressively.

Those who believe the center will be successful in helping businesses point out that mediation makes the problem-solving process even easier than arbitration. It puts control into the hands of the disputing parties and allows them to handle negotiations with the oversight of a mediator. This can save time and money, and also preserve the relationship because there is no single winner.

Companies frequently travel to Singapore for arbitration because local practices are often untrustworthy. They are seeking neutral ground that provides an open and upfront environment for resolving conflict. Singapore International Arbitration Centre is currently the world’s third most popular spot for resolving disputes via arbitration and more than 80% of the center’s cases are international.