Alternative dispute resolution is the collective name given to several methods of dealing with disputes without going to court.
The method most commonly used in ADR is mediation, with conciliation as another possibility. Both these procedures involve the use of a neutral third party to encourage and facilitate (but not impose) a solution to the dispute.
Other procedures, such as arbitration, adjudication and expert determination, are sometimes classed as ADR methods. However, they are similar to the court process in the sense that they involve the imposition of a solution by a third party, rather than the facilitated negotiation of a settlement.
In these questions we will concentrate on mediation, as the principal method used in ADR.
