Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)

Litigation is a costly and time consuming process. Money and time which could be better diverted to other projects are consumed by the process of court action often ending in a trial process at which a judge will make a decision on the dispute which the parties are bound to accept whether or not they like it. Appeals against the decisions of judges are not always possible and, where they are, can be prohibitively expensive and result in further delay.

We are firmly committed to investigating alternatives to litigation in all cases where this may be our client’s best interest. There are many different forms of ADR from negotiation between solicitors to formal processes such as early neutral evaluation and arbitration. Each of these require different approaches and skills.

We have been involved in many different types of ADR and have significant experience, in particular, in the field of mediation, a process involving structured negotiation assisted by a trained impartial third party. Nothing discussed at mediation can be referred to later in court and so negotiations can take place in an open environment. This process presents an opportunity to conclude cases swiftly and in a less stressful and expensive manner than by trial. It also offers the advantage of keeping clients in control of the process.