How much will mediation cost?
Your mediation costs will be based on an hourly fee. The cost of mediation depends on who is conducting the mediation. The average cost in DuPage County is $175-$275 per hour. Typically, there is also a retainer or deposit that is paid in addition to the hourly rate. This deposit will be cover time spent on reviewing and drafting documents, writing the Memorandum of Understanding, telephone consultations, and consultations by the mediator with your attorneys or other advisors in the process. The cost of mediation is generally significantly less than if you each hired lawyers to represent you in your divorce without using mediation. The average litigated divorce in DuPage county is $25,000 per person. If you choose to mediate part or all of your divorce, the cost is significantly less than this. For example, assuming that you meet with a mediator five times for two hours each time, plus an additional two hours of time for writing up the Memorandum of Understanding, the cost of mediation
