Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and mediation have become fashionable. The Centre for Dispute Resolution’s (Cedr’s) training courses for accreditation as a mediator are heavily oversubscribed, but having attended one recently, they are excellent.
The Woolf reforms promote the use of ADR, but so does common sense. Our adversarial method of dispute resolution is lengthy and thorough. If a case proceeds to court, you can get due process, excellent legal advice, well developed case law – and a long wait and hefty bills. Many parties, particularly those from Europe, are appalled at the litigation process in this country, in the same way many here regard litigation in the US.
