All “Civil” cases, including Domestic Relations cases and civil claims, are entitled to a hearing or trial before a judge, and some civil cases, are entitled to a trial before a jury. However, it takes time to get before a judge, and there can be significant costs associated with attorney fees, fees for expert witnesses, and other aspects of a trial. A trial is a public proceeding, in which personal details or details of a business that may otherwise be private are often disclosed. Also, with a trial both parties have uncertainty about the results until they are finalized, and the result is usually a very limited and specific decision.
ADR is an effective way to address some of these limitations. There are several types of ADR, 2 of which are used extensively by the Court and the Community. These are Case Evaluation and Mediation.