Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Fact: 95% of lawsuits settle out of court, without a trial. The Superior Court of California, County of Stanislaus encourages the use of methods other than a trial to settle civil cases. Please refer to the Civil Forms page for your ADR packet of information.

Conflict

Everyone has conflicts. We dispute with our families at home, our peers at work or school and our competition in the market place. Most of the time these conflicts are minor and we resolve them through informal negotiation. Sometimes, however, our conflicts cannot be resolved through informal negotiations and matters escalate.

Unfortunately, sometimes the court must provide conflict resolution in the form of a civil jury trial. A civil lawsuit can be expensive. Attorneys’ fees, discovery costs, expert witness fees and numerous other miscellaneous costs can add up and neither side leaves the dispute feeling satisfied.

Often times cases settle the night before the trial begins, only after months of preparation and thousands of dollars in costs. Mediation or other forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution can reduce costs by settling the case months before the scheduled trial date.

Remember: You do not have to go to court

The Court offers alternatives to trials:

• Voluntary Mediation
• Judicial Arbitration