The cost of litigation is very difficult to estimate in advance with any degree of accuracy. The reason is that the cost is not determined by our actions alone. To a great extent, it depends upon the actions of the parties to the lawsuit.
Our philosophy is to do everything we can to resolve the matter as quickly and economically as possible. To do that, immediately after the lawsuit begins, we contact opposing counsel to discuss the possibility of an early settlement conference or mediation. In many cases, the other party is equally interested in an early resolution to the problem.
In some cases, however, the other party — or their attorney — may subscribe to a “scorched earth” philosophy. They will decline to attempt to enter into settlement negotiations or mediate the matter at an early stage of the dispute. Instead, they will begin immediately to prepare for trial, which starts with the very time-consuming and expensive discovery process. Even if the case later settles, this philosophy will multiply the cost exponentially.