An analysis of cases in the English legal system that went to mediation and those that didn't reveals that mediation made no statistically significant impact on legal costs or the "level of applications for legal aid" (p 188). The authors conclude, therefore, that while there had been a decline in applications for legal aid between 1999 and 2001, the use of mediation was not the cause of it. However, the authors also argue that judging mediation programs by cost-savings and diversion from litigation is an inadequate measure of their value. Rather, any measure of the value of mediation - and the level of public funding these programs receive - should also take into account the non-financial benefits gained by those who use it.