The courts must be aware of the high cost of litigation for the participants. As a private practitioner I have been a proponent of the concept of alternative dispute resolution to keep disputes out of the court system. I am one of approximately 40 Lancaster attorneys who completed mediation training in December, 2000. The Lancaster Bar Association, utilizing the services of many of those attorneys, including myself, has recently started an ADR program. The Lancaster Mediation Center has provided mediation services for years to individuals who want to avoid the court system.
Mediation can be effective in resolving all types of legal disputes.
It is faster and less expensive than traditional litigation. The use of attorneys is optional. The use of mandatory mediation in some types of cases by the court could afford access to some individuals who might otherwise be closed out of the system. The use of guardians for children in disputed custody cases could be another vehicle available to the courts to expedite and reduce the cost of custody proceedings. A report from a child s court appointed guardian, whose only interest is the child s well-being would resolve countless custody disputes without litigation.