Set your settlement floor before the meeting

Do not find your number in the room

Tomorrow’s meeting is not the place to discover your bottom line. If you are still guessing when the other side pushes for a quick answer, their number becomes the anchor, not yours. Official guidance on mediation says parties should attend with enough knowledge of the dispute and authority to decide settlement on the day. ([fedcourt.gov.au](https://www.fedcourt.gov.au/services/ADR/mediation?utm_source=openai))

That is why the walk-away number should be set before you sit down. It is a business decision, not a mood. If the offer drops below the figure you have already tested, you can leave without improvising, and without turning pressure into regret. The Federal Court notes that mediation can settle in full, in part, or not at all. ([fedcourt.gov.au](https://www.fedcourt.gov.au/services/ADR/mediation?utm_source=openai))

Build the range first

Start with three outcomes: best, likely and worst. Best is the result you would love. Likely is the result the evidence actually supports. Worst is the outcome if the dispute drags on and the other side does better than you expect. Business.gov.au says the option you choose should depend on the outcome you want, and court can be costly and time consuming. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/People/Disputes/When-to-go-to-court-over-a-dispute?utm_source=openai))

Those three numbers are not the settlement number themselves. They are the rails. If your likely result is $180,000 and your worst is $120,000, the walk-away number sits below likely but above the point where more fighting costs more than it is worth. The real work is deciding where that line sits for this file, today. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/People/Disputes/When-to-go-to-court-over-a-dispute?utm_source=openai))

Source: Official guidance

Add the cost of carrying the fight

Next, add your costs to date. That includes lawyer time, document preparation, expert input, travel and the hours your own team has already spent answering emails, digging out records and stopping other work. Business.gov.au says ADR costs may include practitioner fees, travel, room hire and other expenses, while court can add fees and legal costs. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/disputes/prevent-manage-and-resolve-disputes?utm_source=openai))

Then add the cost of keeping the file alive if the meeting fails. One more round of briefing, one more conference, and one more delay can matter more than a small difference in the offer. A settlement figure only works if it beats the likely net result after those future costs are deducted, not before. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/disputes/prevent-manage-and-resolve-disputes?utm_source=openai))

Test the offer against real business risk

Do not treat the headline number as cash in hand. Ask what arrives, when it arrives, and what risk you are giving up in return. Mediation can preserve a business relationship and offer more flexible outcomes than court, but business.gov.au also notes that court or tribunal may be better if you mainly want a definite outcome. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/disputes/prevent-manage-and-resolve-disputes?utm_source=openai))

That means checking whether the settlement actually solves the problem sitting behind the dispute. If the offer leaves a supplier issue, a retention fight or a payment plan still hanging over you, the deal may be too thin. The number must clear the whole commercial mess, not just the argument that got you into the room. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/disputes/prevent-manage-and-resolve-disputes?utm_source=openai))

Confirm who can sign tonight

Before tonight ends, name the person who can sign. If the attendee has to call back for approval, the other side may use that gap to reset the conversation or pull the offer. The Federal Court says the person attending mediation should be able to make decisions about settlement and, for an organisation, be an authorised officer. ([fedcourt.gov.au](https://www.fedcourt.gov.au/services/ADR/mediation?utm_source=openai))

Write the walk-away number on one page with the key assumptions beside it, then confirm who can approve any move above or below that line. If you want help pressure-testing the figure before the meeting, call CRP today about dispute resolution. CRP coordinates independent qualified professionals, and this is general information only, not legal advice or a promise of outcome. ([fedcourt.gov.au](https://www.fedcourt.gov.au/services/ADR/mediation?utm_source=openai))