• Civil lawsuits are expensive for all parties involved in a dispute. The only guaranty is a civil lawsuit is that it will be stressful, time consuming and costly for all concerned parties.

   • Civil lawsuits are time consuming. It can take at least one to three years to bring a case to trial, depending on the jurisdiction.

   • There can be only one winner and one loser is a civil lawsuit. The outcome is uncertain and rendered after a judge or a jury has heard the case over only a short period of time.

   • There is no privacy in a civil lawsuit. Decisions become public record.

   • The options available to the disputants as an alternative to filing a civil lawsuit are unclear and confusing for most people.

   • A few hours of mediation can satisfactorily and economically resolve a dispute which may have taken months and a costly trial to resolve, with a minimum of emotional stress.

   • Alternative dispute resolution does not determine the winner or the loser, but guides and enables the disputants to constructively solve the problems leading to the conflict, laying groundwork for the possibility for continued Business and personal relationships.

   • Most cases referred to mediation are resolved to the mutual benefit of disputants.