23 Alternatives to court

1. Introduction

2. What alternatives are there to court?

3. Do I need a lawyer to use alternative dispute resolution?

Just as you would seek advice when going to court, you should in most cases seek advice when choosing an ADR method and when reaching agreements. Advice can also be useful when you are writing a complaint letter or using a formal complaints procedure.

You can get independent advice from a various sources, for example a:

• Citizens Advice Bureau;
• housing advice centre;
• local Law Centre; or
• solicitor.

See the contact details below for details of other organisations that can offer advice.

4. How do I decide whether to use an alternative dispute resolution scheme?

5. How do alternative dispute resolution schemes work?

6. Mediation and conciliation

7. Arbitration

8. Grievance and complaints procedure

9. Litigation

10. Negotiation

11. Ombudsmen

12. How much does alternative dispute resolution cost?

13. Dispute resolution services

14. Further help

15. About this leaflet

This leaflet is published by the Legal Services Commission (LSC). It was written in association with the Advice Services Alliance.

Leaflet Version: November 2007

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