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Mediation
If you are involved in a legal dispute with another person or entity,
you may be able to resolve it without filing a lawsuit. If your community
has a mediation program, you and the person you are having a dispute
with can try to work the problem out with the help of a neutral mediator.
If you cannot resolve your problem informally through mediation, you
can file a lawsuit. See
more details about mediation and community dispute resolution programs
>>.
Mediation is a process in which two or more people involved in a dispute
meet in a private, confidential setting and attempt to work out a solution
to their problem with the help of a trained neutral person. Mediation
is fast, either free or low cost, and effective in resolving many disputes,
including landlord-tenant, consumer/merchant, and neighborhood disputes.
In most cases, a mediation meeting can be set up within 10 days, and
90% of all cases in which both parties to a dispute agree to use a mediation
service result in agreements acceptable to all sides. If you can work
out your dispute in mediation, you may not need to go to court. Ask
the clerk of your local court if a mediation program is available in
your area, or call 1-800-8RESOLVE.
Filing a lawsuit in court should be used as a last resort. Make sure
you have discussed your problem with the person or business you are
thinking about suing. In many situations, people and businesses do not
know that someone has a dispute with them until they receive court papers.
If talking the problem over does not work, consider using mediation
instead of going to court.
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