The answer to this question is highly variable, as it is affected by many factors. This includes the strength of your case, the other party’s desire to fight the lawsuit, the particulars of the case, and many other elements often out of your control. In general, if the other party is amenable to settling, the process may go more quickly – in some cases, it may take as little as a few months. However, there are some situations where they may not be willing to settle at an amount you consider acceptable. If the other party rejects attempts at negotiation or the parties can’t come to an agreement both sides are happy with, the case will eventually go to trial, which takes more time. Sometimes, it may be a year or more before a trial can be completed, depending on the length of the negotiation process and how full the court docket is.