Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) represents a variety of processes through which potential litigants may resolve disputes.
Potential Uses of ADR
Many disputes involve people who have known each other for some time, like neighbors, relatives, acquaintances, co-workers, or friends. In addition, selected felonies may be referred to dispute resolution or mediation centers with the approval of the court, and the consent of the people (prosecutor), the victim (complainant) and the respondent (defendant). Mediation is not an option, however, in cases of domestic violence, child abuse, or other serious and complex issues.
Advantages of using ADR:
Save Time: A dispute often can be settled or decided much sooner with ADR; often in a matter of months, even weeks, while bringing a lawsuit to trial can take a year or more.
Save Money: When cases are resolved earlier through ADR, the parties may save some of the money they would have spent on attorney fees, court costs, and experts' fees.
Increase Control over the Process and the Outcome: In ADR, parties typically play a greater role in shaping both the process and its outcome. In most ADR processes, parties have more opportunity to tell their side of the story than they do at trial. Some ADR processes, such as mediation, allow the parties to fashion creative resolutions that are not available in a trial. Other ADR processes, such as arbitration, allow the parties to choose an expert in a particular field to decide the dispute.
Preserve Relationships: ADR can be a less adversarial and hostile way to resolve a dispute. For example, an experienced mediator can help the parties effectively communicate their needs and point of view to the other side. This can be an important advantage where the p ...