Alternative Dispute Resolution

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 Although negotiated settlements are the most desirable way of resolving civil disputes, parties often lack the objectivity needed to reach reasonable compromises.  In the past few years, the legal community has adopted a number of different methods to help parties properly evaluate their cases for settlement purposes.  Usually these procedures utilize the services of a neutral person or group of people who try to bring the parties to an agreement or who give the parties their independent evaluation of the case.  These methods or procedures are collectively referred to as alternative dispute resolution ("ADR").