Whenever a legal dispute occurs between two individuals, it is always preferable to resolve it without resorting to lawsuits and litigation. Many people don't realize that there are alternative ways of resolving disputes. The primary way of resolving disputes without suits and court is mediation. Mediation works much like going to court, except that the two parties sit down with a mediator, who acts somewhat like a judge. However, rather than the mediator making a decision about how the issue will be resolved, he or she helps the two parties reach an agreement that both can live with. Alternative dispute resolution cases, such as those that go through mediation, are faster to resolve and cost less money to resolve. There are no court costs with mediation, and while the mediator will charge a fee, it will be significantly less than attorney's fees. Most district attorneys' offices can recommend good mediators to help you if you have a dispute and would like to avoid a lawsuit.