A Few Legal Terms and What They Mean

Arbitration: Submitting a case or dispute to designated parties for a decision, instead of using a judge.

Mediation:  A process where a neutral third party, whether one person or more, acts as a facilitator to assist in resolving a dispute between two or more parties; the role of the mediator includes facilitating communication between the parties, assisting in identifying the real issues of the dispute and the interests of the parties, and generating options for settlement.

Claim:  In civil cases, the statement of relief desired.

Complaint: A legal document that tells the court what you want, and is served with a summons on the defendant to begin the case.

Damages: Money a party receives as compensation for a legal wrong.

Discovery: A formal request by one party in a lawsuit to disclose information or facts known by other parties or witnesses.