Some cases cannot realistically go to mediation until the parties have gone through the discovery process. A shareholder who believes that the company is not correctly reporting its profits will not be able to put forward a clear claim unless they have a chance to take a detailed look at the books. A person seeking a financial settlement with their partner following a separation will not be able to tell if an offer is good or not unless they have seen proof of their partner's income and copies of their bank statements and superannuation statements.