Why 1sitting
Mediation can be fast but may end without a deal. Arbitration gives an answer, but it can take months. 1sitting is designed to give you both speed and a final outcome, in one day.
Weeks, not years
U.S. District Court, median time to trial
34.1 months
Large business arbitrations, median time to award (2025)
18.7 months
Commercial mediation, median time to settlement (2024)
3.7 months
1sitting, from signed agreement to outcome
about 3 weeks (design target)
Sources: American Arbitration Association, 2024 and 2025 caseload data. The 1sitting figure is a design target, not a historical average.
How 1sitting compares
Court
Time to outcome
Years
Final outcome guaranteed
Eventually
You can still agree your own terms
Through settlement
Every party heard before any binding decision
Yes
Private
No
Fee
Open-ended
Arbitration
Time to outcome
Often more than a year for large cases
Final outcome guaranteed
Yes
You can still agree your own terms
Rarely
Every party heard before any binding decision
Yes
Private
Yes
Fee
Open-ended
Mediation
Time to outcome
Weeks to months
Final outcome guaranteed
No
You can still agree your own terms
Yes
Every party heard before any binding decision
No binding decision
Private
Yes
Fee
Usually hourly or daily
1sitting
Time to outcome
One day, about three weeks from signing
Final outcome guaranteed
Yes, on the day
You can still agree your own terms
Yes, until the settlement deadline
Every party heard before any binding decision
Yes
Private
Yes
Fee
Fixed, agreed in advance
Built on research, not guesswork
01
Deciding first helps people settle.
In a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology (2002), parties who went through arbitration first, with the decision sealed, then mediated, settled more often and reached better joint outcomes than parties who mediated first.
02
Being heard matters.
Decades of procedural-justice research show that people accept outcomes more readily when they have had a real chance to present their case. Every 1sitting party is heard before any decision.
03
Uncertainty focuses minds.
Neither side knows what the sealed decision says. Weighing that unknown against terms you control is a strong reason to settle.
What you gain
Time back
Months of distraction become one day.
Cost certainty
One fixed fee, agreed before you begin.
Privacy
No public court record of your dispute.
A future
Settling on your own terms protects relationships you may want to keep, with a partner, a supplier or a family member.