Construction Law
3 Benefits of Alternative Dispute Resolution
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) allows contractors and owners to settle their grievances without the need for time-consuming and costly litigation. However, in many cases, contractors and owners aren’t aware that ADR is an option. With such vast sums of money in play, it’s natural for disagreements to occur during a construction project, so it’s imperative that contractors understand how to protect not only their best interests, but also their professional relationships, before a lawsuit threatens to ruin everything they’ve worked hard to build.
In this brief article, a Tallahassee construction mediation attorney will explain three important benefits of ADR. If you find yourself in need of construction mediation or arbitration services, our attorneys can assist you by helping you prevent legal issues from taking root in the first place through proven processes that help both parties reach an amicable solution.
1. Save Time
The amount of time it takes to settle a dispute in a court of law varies by case, but most cases decided by a judge will take at least one year. During that time, you will likely have to suspend work until a resolution has been reached. As a contractor, you simply can’t afford to let a project extend past the timeline proposed in your contract. When projects run over by even a few weeks it can lead to a substantial dip in profitability, so imagine what a year can do. Fortunately, there’s more than one way to resolve a dispute, and ADR can help you reach a mutually agreeable resolution in a much shorter time. Plus, you’ll be more likely to avoid the negativity that typically follows a courtroom battle with a Tallahassee construction dispute attorney at the helm conducting ADR.
2. Save Money
The more time you spend battling it out in the courtroom, the more expensive your attorney fees will be. Not only is ADR an effective way to reach an amicable solution quickly, it can also be used to reduce the costs associated with dispute resolution. Hiring a Tallahassee construction mediation attorney to oversee a mediation session will cost you significantly less than the cost to pursue legal recourse in a court of law. Consider this: even after you win a claim, the owner could appeal the decision, thereby locking you up in another round of legal chest-beating, so what’s the point of litigation if other less expensive options will suffice?
3. Preserve Relationships
After litigation, it can be difficult to preserve your relationship with an owner, and there’s a good chance you won’t even want to. This can be avoided altogether by handling disputes outside of court. In the heat of the moment, contractors and owners can become impassioned and overwhelmed, which can result in both parties saying things they will come to regret. With the help of a Tallahassee construction dispute attorney, you can maintain a working relationship by handling disputes through mediation or arbitration. Once you reach an amicable solution, you can resume your professional relationship where it left off instead of losing a potentially valuable partner.
If you would like to speak with a Tallahassee construction dispute attorney, please contact us today.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.