Alternative Dispute Resolution

Have you ever been to court either as a plaintiff or defendant and thought, “There has to be a better way to settle this?” Sometimes there might be; perhaps one of the many variations of a general group of techniques and practices collectively called Alternative Dispute Resolution, or ADR.

While direct negotiation, probably the oldest form of ADR, is involved in almost every legal dispute, whether brought to court or not, many other techniques might not be as familiar to people embroiled in a legal dispute and looking for a way out.

Other ADR techniques and practices include:

• Mediation

• Arbitration (binding or non-binding)

• Early Neutral Evaluation

• Focus Groups

• Mini-Trials

• Moderated Settlement Conferences

• Settlement Alternatives

• Summary Jury Trials

These techniques and practices, some court-supervised and others kept completely private among the parties, can, in a proper situation, resolve legal disputes quickly, fairly and with much lower cost for lawyers, witnesses, experts and the substantial and sundry expenses generated by a full-blown court case ending in a trial with possible appeals.

All ADR takes to be successful in almost any kind of civil legal dispute, including family matters, is the good faith and willingness of the parties to put the dispute behind them, and skilled and experienced “neutrals” who can guide the parties through the process.

Bell, Moore & Richter, S.C. has a rich and long history of being among the most active and successful Alternative Dispute Resolution practices in Wisconsin.