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The point of mediations is that they are opportunities: still foremost for the protagonists to cut a deal, drawing on all factors, including the information the Judge can, with greater or lesser certainty, be predicted to draw upon; but they are not confined to that. Hugh Elder is right, with the typical pragmatism I remember from trainee days, to highlight their value as test runs, fishing expeditions or whatever, or simply to manage expectations. They're rarely a waste of money, provided the costs are kept proportionate to the quantum and costs risks in the case.