If you are a party to a lawsuit, you can expect to attend mediation at some point. A mediation is court mandated and both the plaintiff and defendant must be in attendance. This is an attempt to settle the case outside of the courtroom to avoid relying on the court system to do so.
Mediation
The process of mediation involves the help of a mediator. The mediator is a neutral party that goes between the plaintiff and defendant with negotiation offers. The plaintiff and the defendant are required to attend the mediation and the attorney of each party, as well.
The mediator will usually begin the mediation with providing the benefits of settling the case during this process. Common information relayed to the dispute parties may involve the uncertainty of a jury trial and how the court will decide on any legal matter.
Negotiations
Once all the parties have arrived at the mediation, negotiations will then begin. The mediator commonly starts with the plaintiff in a legal action to begin this process. Once an amount has been requested by the plaintiff, this will be delivered to the defendant and the defendant will respond with an offer. Your injury lawyer Niles can provide advice during the negotiations.
Negotiations will continue as long as both parties are working to settle the case. If the case is to be settled at mediation, a specific amount must be agreed upon by the plaintiff and the defendant that are involved in the lawsuit.
Closure
If the case settles at mediation, this will allow the case to be dismissed and will end the civil litigation in its entirety. If the case is not successful at settling, it will continue to a court of law and will be tried with the help of a judge or a jury.
Finally, it is important to have the legal guidance of Therman Law Offices Niles in the event you are scheduled for mediation. By having a skilled professional by your side during mediation, this will provide confidence to either party involved.
