All “Civil” cases, including Domestic Relations cases and civil claims, are entitled to a hearing or trial before a judge, and some civil cases, also 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, two of which are used extensively by the Court and the Community. These are Case Evaluation and Mediation.