15/16 An Analysis of Qatar’s Mediation Law No. 20 of 2021, the Mediator's Fees and Expenses Background Mediators can charge by the hour, the half day, the whole day, or a flat fee for the entire mediation. Most ethics codes in the U.S. discourage a contingency fee based on the settlement value because it can compromise the mediator's impartiality towards and independence from the outcome of the mediation. I wrote about this risk here . In some cases, usually family law cases, the spouse with greater financial resources may agree to pay the entire fee. In that case, the mediator must take care that he or she does not show partiality towards the fee-paying spouse. Mediation rosters, whether court-connected or created by private third-party providers (like AAA, JAMS, and IMI), will often list the mediator's fee schedule. In any event, the mediator and the parties will negotiate the fee. That fee agreement typically appears in the agreement to mediate or a separate fee a