May 2017 – Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) process

Warren E. Berger, former Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, once said, “The notion that most people want black-robed judges, well-dressed lawyers and fine-paneled courtrooms as the setting to resolve their disputes is not correct. People with problems, like people with pain, want relief, and they want it as quickly and inexpensively as possible.”

That is a simple and well stated fact. The law provides for a means to do precisely that through the use of an Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) process.

This approach to handling lawsuits can be very successful and effective if the litigants are rational and have a desire to settle. Leave the emotions and anger out of it and you may settle in one week or less a case that could last over a year in Court – not only saving you precious time but potentially thousands of dollars in attorneys’ fees. As Rumi, a 13th century Persian poet, stated, “Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”

In our blogs this month, I will provide you with the details of what are some ADR processes and the advantages to the use of the same.