Alternative Dispute Resolution
If you find yourself involved in a dispute – one that involves your business or you personally – it can quickly lead to extensive costs and complications. All with no specific guarantee of a successful outcome. The longer it takes for the dispute to be resolved, the higher the costs and the greater the potential damage to your reputation and that of your business.
This is why it is important to ensure that disagreements and disputes at all levels are brought to a conclusion as quickly as possible. At Aristone Solicitors, we always encourage Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as an alternative to court involvement where possible. By settling your disputes and disagreements outside the courts, you stand to save time and money while maintaining maximum discretion.
For more information or to discuss your requirements in more detail, contact a member of the team at Aristone Solicitors today.
Mediation for ADR
The most popular and preferred method of Alternative Dispute Resolution is mediation. This involves the inclusion of an independent and impartial outside party, who serves as a neutral facilitator during subsequent negotiations.
With no financial or emotional connections to any of the parties involved, the mediator helps those involved in a dispute consider the issue from an entirely objective standpoint. In doing so, it often becomes possible for a fair and amicable agreement to be reached, with no need for further action.
However, any agreements reached during mediation are not considered legally binding, until they have been recorded in writing and signed by all parties involved.
Expert Evaluation for ADR
This can be used as a precursor to mediation or as a subsequent measure, in the event that initial efforts proved unsuccessful. In a typical working example, an independent engineer could be enlisted to provide an expert evaluation to assist with a property development dispute.
Prior to the expert evaluation going ahead, the parties involved in the dispute can decide whether they want the opinion of the neutral third-party to be legally binding. If so, it is referred to as ‘expert determination’ and can bring even the most complex disputes to a swift and fair resolution.
Arbitration for ADR
The primary difference between mediation and arbitration is that with the latter, the neutral third party makes a decision to settle the case. Whereas mediators help the parties involved see the issue from a more objective perspective, arbitrators go one step further to make a decision regarding the dispute.
Hence, arbitration is typically chosen as a follow-up to mediation, should initial efforts to resolve the issue prove unsuccessful. If arbitration is considered insufficient or inappropriate, the matter may be escalated further and brought before the courts.
Contact Aristone Solicitors
At Aristone Solicitors, we understand and acknowledge the uniqueness of every disagreement and dispute. That’s why we work hard to get to know our clients and their businesses at a deeper level, before carefully considering both sides of the argument from an objective standpoint.
We’ll do whatever it takes to bring the issue to a prompt and amicable resolution, while eliminating the costs and complications of court proceedings. For more information or to discuss your requirements in more detail, contact a member of the team at Aristone Solicitors today.
