The use of alternative dispute resolution is increasing tremendously. More people are now shying away from going to court to resolve their contractual disputes. The use of mediation and arbitration to solve final reinsurance, employment discrimination, consumer credit, and intellectual property disputes. You do not have to spend a lot of time trying to resolve the dispute in question. However, if you choose to use a mediator for your case, you have to ensure you select the right person for this job. It is not an easy task to make that selection. You have to develop a list of guidelines to ensure you are bringing on board a mediator who understands this job.
With alternative dispute resolution methods, several benefits come into play. The benefits that accrue from resolving disputes outside the corridors of the judicial system have contributed to the increase in the number of people that have opted for that strategy. So what are the benefits that come by? They include:
Confidentiality
When you are in some contractual dispute, you might opt to solve the issue without spilling the beans to many people. You do not want many people coming to peddle in your matters. Such can be achieved through using alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation and arbitration. The parties involved in the dispute have the chance to select their preferred arbitrator and mediator to whom they will tell their story. With that in mind, the arbitrator ought to listen keenly and find a way of resolving the issue. Therefore, there is always a tight circle that gets to know the details and proceedings of the case at hand. There is no reason for anybody coming along to interfere with the matters of the parties that are trying to reach some sense of finality to their patent dispute.
Fairness
One of the benefits of alternative dispute resolution methods is fairness. The parties in the dispute are given humble time to explain their side of the story. The mediator is to deliberate on the issue before arriving at a satisfactory decision for both parties. So there is that ability to reach fairness. This is something that is never guaranteed in the court system. People are likely to use uncouth means to win a case. Some of the means will be through corruption to have one party disadvantages when it comes to providing a ruling. Through alternative dispute resolution, there is always that guarantee to be heard. And that brings along fairness.
Cost Efficiency
Cost is always a serious consideration when it comes to solving a dispute. You want to ensure you do not spend a lot of money on attorney fees. So the best way to avoid such an occurrence is through resolving to use an alternative dispute resolution method. One strategy that falls into that category is mediation. You have to select a mediator who will save you the money that would have been spent on hiring an attorney. Furthermore, the matter at hand will be solved within the shortest time possible. That is great in ensuring that justice is served without wasting time.
Prevent Conflict Escalation
One thing that is likely to happen when people get into a dispute is the escalation of the conflict. Even when the case gets decided through a court ruling, the parties involved might end up hating each other even more. Fortunately, such can be avoided easily through using methods such as arbitration or mediation. Once the problem has been resolved, there is always room for reconciliation so that no bad blood exists after a solution has been given. In short, there is always that feeling of finality once the mediation has brought together the parties in the disputes, listened to them, and solved their matter.
Conclusion
Alternative dispute resolution methods do provide a wide variety of benefits. Some have been discussed above in this article. They allow parties in contractual disputes to save time, money and prevent a conflict from escalating. A fair decision is arrived at, which favors all the parties that were currently at loggerheads. Therefore, there is no need to stay bitter at each other after the arbitrator has given a verdict after deliberating the issue together with you.
