This paper discusses how in an increasingly heterogeneous American society, the formality of courts and their adherence to
the traditional adversary model has led to the recent emergence of several methods of
alternative dispute resolution (ADRs). It examines how some of these methods, which include mediation,
negotiation and arbitration, provide an alternative to litigation and have several advantages. It attempts to show that mediation is the most effective form of alternative dispute resolution, by examining the current system, the adversarial system and what aspects of this system create the need for alternative forms of dispute resolution. It also compares its advantages to the other forms of alternate dispute resolution.