Law Practice
Settling It Online: ODR is the New ADR
Posted Oct 2, 2007, 08:29 pm CST
By Martha Neil
OK, OK, take it online. That could foreseeably be a 21st-century mantra for dispute resolution, as enhanced technology and lower costs make it easier, faster and cheaper to use the Internet to settle disagreements.
However, online dispute resolution, although increasingly popular among attorneys and large organizations, is still used in only a small fraction of all cases, reports the ABA Journal in an October feature story.
Personal injury solo Bill Sayed, of Tarzana, Calif., likes Cybersettle. “You save on all the calls, letters, missed calls, frustrations and delayed responses,” he says. He also thinks ODR discourages lowballing. However, soft-tissue injury cases require explanation of the injury and hence are still more effectively settled with at least some personal discussion, he believes.
Read more about who is using ODR and how.