Alternatives to Court

Before you sue, try to settle. Many cases come to trial needlessly because the parties have not attempted to communicate with each other.

Many legal problems can be resolved through negotiation. Negotiating on your own behalf can be the solution to many minor disputes.

Prepare before negotiating with the other side. Negotiations are an important tool that can save time and money while resolving your case. Remember, going to court is costly (e.g., court fees and costs, potential attorney fees, time off work.) The court process can be emotionally exhausting. Below are a few tips on conducting a successful negotiation.

The word “demand” is misleading. “Demand” makes it sound as if the best strategy is to be aggressive in your approach to the person or business with whom you have a dispute. Try to resolve your dispute with the other side before going to court.

Mediation is a process where a trained impartial person helps people in a dispute communicate, understand each other, and reach agreement if possible.

Frequently asked questions about mediation. Mediation is a process where a trained impartial person helps people in a dispute communicate, understand each other, and reach agreement if possible.

Family mediation is the mediation of disputes in actions for divorce, annulment, paternity, child custody or visitation, child support, or alimony. Mediation can be used to resolve the entire range of family disputes either court proceedings or after (e.g., continuing disputes from a custody agreement).

Mediators are trained in conflict resolution. They have experience helping people to communicate better with each other, even when it seems impossible for any agreement to be reached. For mediation to be effective, you should be comfortable with your mediator and discuss your needs openly.