Interactive Glossary

BROWSE:

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR):

A substitute for litigation (adversarial lawsuit) as a way for establishing regulatory rules or reaching consensus on decisions. ADR provides a means to settle disputes without recourse to the formal judicial system. The process could involve negotiated settlements among the parties potentially affected by a ruling. There could be mediation, where one party assists in settling differences among contending parties. Such approaches can represent a less expensive and speedy mechanism for reaching agreement than participating in a formal hearing (where there seem to be winners and losers) or engaging in a contentious appeals process.

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