One website reports that the average number of federal tort, or injury, lawsuits filed each year in the United States is 512,000. From there, you can probably estimate that a large number of tort lawsuits are filed in state courts, too, since most motor vehicle accident, slip-and-fall, and property damage cases are filed in the courts of the states in which they occurred.
We are no strangers to litigation. We also like to watch it on television. Judge Judy, The Good Wife, and American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson are still discussed in our Facebook and Twitter feeds, at family dinners, and on our commutes to work, regardless of the accuracy of their depictions of the process. You might think that litigation is all there is when it comes to conflict resolution.
So, who are these people who might prefer mediation to litigation?
- Activists
- Atheists
- Christians
- Collaborators
- Community Organizers
- Creative Professionals
- Crime Perpetrators
- Crime Victims
- Entrepreneurs
- Family Members
- Jews
- Leaders at All Levels
- Lifetime Learners
- Muslims
- Parents
- Peacemakers
- People Who Have English Language Difficulties
- People Who Have Physical Limitations
- Penny Pinchers
- Philosophers
- Police Officers
- Private People
- Public Servants
- Programmers
- Religious Leaders
- Students
- Teachers
- Time Crunchers
In short, people just like you and me find mediation to be an effective conflict resolution process. It often saves time, money, and relationships–including our relationships with ourselves, our health, our finances, and more.
Would you like to see if there’s a resolution to your conflict that’s even better than you imagined possible? Tell me more
NOTE: This post is a general overview of the types of people who might choose mediation over litigation. It is not legal advice, and there is certainly no guarantee that choosing mediation will generate a specific result. Past success is never a guarantee of a future outcome. If you require legal information or advice applied to your unique situation, please make an appointment to discuss it with an attorney. Don’t rely solely on what you read on the Internet.
Nance L. Schick, Esq. is a New York City attorney and mediator who focuses on keeping people out of court and building their conflict resolution skills, especially in business and employment disputes. Her holistic, integrative approach to conflict resolution draws from her experience as a crime victim, human resources supervisor, minor league sports agent, and United Nations representative. She is a 2001 graduate of the State University of New York Buffalo Law School trained in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and International Center for Ethno-Religious Mediation (ICERM). She is also creator of the Third Ear Conflict Resolution process, author of DIY Conflict Resolution: Seven Choices and Five Actions of a Master, and an award-winning entrepreneur, who has been acknowledged by the New York Economic Development Corporation/B-Labs (Finalist, Best for NYC 2015 & 2016), U.S. Chamber of Commerce (2015 Blue Ribbon Small Business), Enterprising Women Magazine (Honorable Mention, 2014 Woman of the Year awards), and Urban Rebound NY/Count Me In (Finalist, 2013 Pitch Competition).