One of the most appealing characteristics of alternative resolution methods is the amount of time that is saved by using them. This calculation of time saved includes your and your attorney's preparation time, time lost in reaching a trial solution, and time directly involved in the procedure itself. Additionally, many of the cost savings in ADR are related to reduced client costs from less time spent in the preparation and resolution of the case. There are other opportunities for savings as well, such as a less expensive method for the presentation of testimony and evidence, resulting in lower legal fees. Perhaps the most valuable advantage of ADR in the long-term is that the process presents the client with an opportunity to resolve the dispute at hand while also preserving the important personal relationships involved.
Many disputes arise in the context of ongoing relationships.
Using ADR to resolve a dispute, especially a process based on negotiation such as mediation, may help to preserve relationships that might have been harmed or even destroyed by a more adversarial process. This privacy consideration, along with the less adversarial nature of most ADR procedures, increases the degree of client satisfaction with the process. Finally, many ADR procedures allow the participants the opportunity to resolve the case or dispute in a more creative way than the law or legal system allows. While judges and courts are required to follow certain guidelines outlined in statutes or set up by precedent in making a ruling, certain forms of ADR allow an inventive solution to be crafted by the parties to meet their needs and resolve their particular disagreement. Alternative dispute resolution has become a fundamental component of virtually any modern law practice.