--- title: Trial alternatives description: A trial can be a very long and expensive ordeal and the outcome is not guaranteed. These facts can be deterring to many people; however, a trial is not the only way to resolve a dispute. --- [Dan's Desk](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/author/dan-gallatin) - [lawyer](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/lawyer) - [hugo](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/hugo) - [MN](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/mn) - [law](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/law) - [attorney](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/attorney) - [legal](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/legal) [Subscribe](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/trial-alternatives#) 06/12/2019 # Trial alternatives - - - - - [mailto:?subject=Trial%20alternatives&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gallatin-law.com%2Fblog%2Ftrial-alternatives](mailto:?subject=Trial%20alternatives&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gallatin-law.com%2Fblog%2Ftrial-alternatives) A trial can be a very long and expensive ordeal and the outcome is not guaranteed. These facts can be deterring to many people; however, a trial is not the only way to resolve a dispute. Instead of going through a lengthy and expensive trial, an **Alternative Dispute Resolution** could be used to resolve the dispute in a quicker and less expensive fashion. Alternative Dispute Resolution, also known as ADR, takes place in many different forms. Two of the most common forms of ADR include mediation and arbitration. **Mediation** is informal and much more relaxed than trial. Mediation is run by a neutral third person, known as a mediator, who is trained in negotiation. The goal of mediation is for the mediator to assist the parties in negotiation and reaching an agreement. The mediator does not have the authority to make a decision for the parties, therefore, it is up to the parties to reach an agreement. **Arbitration** is more formal than mediation, and the process is similar to a trial. In arbitration, each party presents their evidence and arguments to an arbitrator. An arbitrator is a neutral person, similar to a mediator, although an arbitrator has the authority to make a decision on the case. After listening to both parties’ case, the arbitrator will announce their decision which may be binding or non-binding on the parties. Overall, alternative dispute resolutions are very beneficial as they are typically much more affordable and quicker than trial. If you need help with a dispute that you believe could be resolved with an alternative dispute resolution such as mediation or arbitration, I would be more than willing to assist you in the process. The material contained herein is provided for informational purposes only and is not legal advice, nor is it a substitute for obtaining legal advice from an attorney. Each situation is unique, and you should not act or rely on any information contained herein without seeking the advice of an experienced attorney. All information contained in links are the property of the linked site. - [Alternative Dispute Resolution](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/alternative-dispute-resolution), - [arbitration](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/arbitration), - [attorney](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/attorney), - [hugo](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/hugo), - [law](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/law), - [lawyer](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/lawyer), - [legal](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/legal), - [minnesota](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/minnesota), - [MN](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/mn), - [mediation](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/mediation), - [trial](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/trial) ![Dan Gallatin](https://www.gallatin-law.com/hubfs/assets-mjfw/site%20images/Dans-Desk.jpg) ## [Dan Gallatin](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/author/dan-gallatin) Dan is a lifelong resident of Minnesota. Born in St. Paul, Dan spent many of his formative years growing up there before moving to White Bear Lake. After graduating from White Bear Lake, Dan spent four glorious years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning a degree in two majors. Dan worked as a Senior Investigator at the Minnesota Department of Commerce for several years after graduating from college. During his final years Dan attended William Mitchell College of Law while still working full-time. During this exhausting 3 ½ year period Dan honed his skills in becoming an efficient, to-the-point legal practitioner. While at Madison Dan met his wife, Tonya, and together they moved to Minnesota to plant their roots. Dan and Tonya have two amazing, unique children and reside in Hugo. ### CONNECT WITH ME - ## Related Posts [03/08/2017 A Couple Reminders of Why I Do What I Do Where I Do It As the sole proprietor, my family knows when trial is upon me. I am home less often, I am irritable, and my head is just not engaged while at home.… Read Post ](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/a-couple-reminders-of-why-i-do-what-i-do-where-i-do-it) [03/25/2020 After a Trial Win, Court of Appeals Affirms Any legitimate trial lawyer will tell you honestly that they don't win every case they take to trial. The only ones who might possibly have won every… Read Post ](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/after-a-trial-win-court-of-appeals-affirms) ### Subscribe Here! ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Dan Gallatin", "url" : "https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/author/dan-gallatin" }, "dateModified" : "2020-08-21T18:32:59.591Z", "datePublished" : "2019-06-12T05:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Trial alternatives", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/trial-alternatives", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.gallatin-law.com/hubfs/logos/Gallatin-Logo-654x84.png" }, "name" : "Gallatin Law, PLLC" } } ```