Mediation cost in Luxembourg (2026)

A mediation quoted at €800 net bills at €936 TTC after TVA 17 %. Costs are usually split equally between the parties unless the convention states otherwise.

Hourly rate breakdown (net, TVA 17 % excluded):

• Médiateur stagiaire (agrément in progress): €70–€100/hour
• Médiateur agréé, family law or civil: €100–€140/hour
• Médiateur agréé, commercial or cross-border: €140–€180/hour
• Senior co-mediation (two mediators, complex case): €180–€240/hour combined

Typical session structure:

• Session 1 — intake, scoping, ground rules (1,5–2 h)
• Sessions 2–4 — substantive exchanges and drafting (each 2 h)
• Session 5 — final agreement drafting and signing (1,5–2 h)

Most mediators offer a free 20–30 minute first contact by phone or video to assess fit and scope before the paid intake.

The three-to-one spread between a civil neighbour dispute and a complex commercial mediation is explained by six concrete drivers, not by margin.

• Matière complexity. A neighbour fence dispute usually resolves in three sessions. A family separation with minor children, real estate and cross-border elements routinely needs five or more.
• Number of parties. Two parties is standard. Three or four parties (family inheritance with four siblings, shareholders dispute) doubles the scheduling load and can push to 1,5x hourly.
• Language and translation. Bilingual (FR + EN, DE + FR) adds no material cost. A mediation needing sequential translation in a third language adds 20–35 % or an interpreter line at €65–€95/hour.
• Co-mediation. Sensitive matters (domestic violence history, estate mediation with mental-capacity issues) are handled by two mediators. Fee roughly 1,6–1,8x single.
• Agreement drafting. A full protocol signed by the parties and suitable for homologation adds one to two drafting hours above the last session.
• Emergency scheduling. Compressing a five-session mediation into three weeks instead of three months can add 15–25 % due to mediator workload rearrangement.

The mediator should disclose how the hourly rate and any forfait are computed — an opaque quote is the single biggest source of post-session disputes over fees.

Luxembourg civil and commercial mediation runs under the règlement grand-ducal of 25 June 2012 and the dedicated médiation familiale framework. The mediator opens the process with a written convention de médiation signed by all parties.

Typically inside the agreed fee:

• Intake session (1,5–2 h) with scoping and rules
• Three to four substantive sessions of 2 h each
• Mediator preparation time between sessions (up to 30 min each)
• Drafting of the final protocol
• One copy of the signed agreement per party and one to file
• Session room and ordinary facilities (water, wifi, whiteboard)

Usually excluded — separate line:

• Home visits. For a family-mediation done at a party's home (accessibility constraint): travel time at €0,52/km and one hour minimum
• Translation. Either a sworn translator line or interpreter live at €65–€95/h
• Expert input. If the parties need a property valuation, child-psychologist note or forensic-accounting report, those experts bill separately
• Homologation by a judge. A homologué agreement is filed at the juge de paix or tribunal d'arrondissement — the mediator does not file, a lawyer usually does, €300–€600 for drafting and filing
• Cancellation within 48 h. A session cancelled late is typically 50–100 % of its cost
• Extra session. If parties are close to agreement but need one more session, it is billed at the agreed hourly rate

A mediation convention that forecasts the total cost within ±20 % and names the hourly rate, the estimated session count and the cancellation policy is the minimum standard in Luxembourg.

Only a médiateur agréé by the Ministère de la Justice may run a mediation that is homologable by a court. The official list is published on justice.public.lu and updated quarterly.

Rules that matter:

• TVA 17 % on private mediation fees. Consumer mediation via the statutory Médiateur de la Consommation is free for the consumer. Commercial-arbitration annex services are TVA-subject.
• Médiation conventionnelle — both parties sign a convention de médiation voluntarily. Costs are split by agreement, usually equally.
• Médiation judiciaire — ordered by a judge under Article 1251-1 of the NCPC. The judge names a médiateur agréé from the official list and caps the duration (usually three months, renewable once). The parties still pay fees, but the convention is supervised by the court.
• Aide judiciaire — the means-tested legal-aid scheme on guichet.lu covers mediation fees as well as attorney fees when eligibility is met. Below the income threshold the state pays the mediator; above it, partial support (30–70 %) is possible.
• Confidentiality. Everything said in mediation is confidential under Article 1251-22 NCPC. The mediator cannot be called as a witness and session notes cannot be produced in court unless all parties agree in writing.
• Interruption of prescription. Starting a conventional mediation interrupts the civil prescription delay — a concrete legal benefit beyond cost.

Comparing three médiateurs is legitimate and encouraged by the official practice guide. The first 20-to-30-minute contact is almost always free and serves to check fit on personality, language and matière.

A clean brief to send each candidate:

• Matière (family, civil, commercial, employment)
• Number of parties, languages preferred
• Brief factual summary (two paragraphs)
• Existing documents in play (contracts, court filings)
• Budget range you have in mind
• Preferred pace (intensive in three weeks vs spread over three months)

The six checks that matter:

• Agrément number. Is the mediator on the Ministère de la Justice list? Verify the number on justice.public.lu — a mediator not on the list cannot produce a homologable agreement.
• Rate basis. Hourly, forfait, or hybrid? Net or TTC? Cost split clause?
• Session count estimate. A serious mediator gives an estimate within ±20 % after intake — an evasive "it depends" is a flag.
• Experience in the specific matière. Ask for three analogous recent cases (anonymised).
• Language fluency. If pleading in a second language (DE, LB, EN), confirm fluency — interpretation live doubles the time cost.
• Aide judiciaire handling. Do they accept clients on aide judiciaire? Some senior mediators do not.

A shared brief produces three quotes within ±20 %. A wider spread signals a misread scope — call before selecting.

A mediation announced at €800 total can land at €1 500 if scope and débours are not watched. Most drift is avoidable.

Common hidden costs:

• Extra sessions to close. Parties almost-agreeing at session four often need a fifth. Ask in advance what the marginal session costs.
• Document drafting. Additional annexes, asset schedules, parenting plans: each 1–2 hours of drafting at the hourly rate.
• Lawyer review before signature. Most parties retain their avocats to review the final protocol — €200–€400 per party for a two-hour review.
• Homologation by a judge. Filing at the tribunal: €300–€600 in lawyer fees plus court stamps.
• Cancellation within 48 h. Life events cause late cancellations — most mediators charge 50–100 %.
• Translation of the final agreement. If the protocol must be produced in a second language for an administration or foreign court: €45–€90 per page.

Red flags to walk away from:

• Mediator not on the Ministère de la Justice list
• No written convention before session one
• Refusal to estimate session count
• Rate expressed as a percentage of the amount in dispute (not allowed under LU règles)
• Suggestion to avoid separate lawyer review ("you do not need a lawyer")
• No confidentiality clause referencing Article 1251-22 NCPC

The conciliation service at the Barreau and the Chambre des Notaires both offer free fee-question answering in case of doubt.