Why It’s Sometimes Better To Settle Out Of Court

If you’ve ever been caught up in a legal dispute, you’ll know they can be lengthy, expensive, and emotionally draining - in other words, they’re awful to have to go through and be involved in in any way. And although it’s important to get justice through the court system, the fact is that sometimes it’s better for all kinds of reasons to simply settle out of court and be done with the whole situation; at least then you can get on with your life and be happy again. If you’re not quite convinced that settling out of court is sometimes the best option for you, keep reading for some answers, and you might change your mind. 

Photo by Sora Shimazaki

Cost Savings

Although there are lots of reasons to settle out of court in the end, one that might be of most interest is that you’ll save a ton of money - going to court is notoriously expensive, and legal fees can very quickly add up, so if you can bypass that, it could save you thousands. 

It’s not just the case itself that costs money, which includes paying for expert witnesses, court costs, and lawyers, it’s all the time you have to take off work or away from your business to attend court as well - if you’re employed, you might lose your job, and if you run a business, that might have to shut down if you’re away from it for too long. All in all, it’s going to be cheaper to settle and walk away. 

Time Savings

Something else that can be swiftly dealt with when you settle out of court is how much time you can save as well. Court cases can literally drag on for years, and at the very least, it’s usually going to take months, and the more complex things are, the longer it’s going to take. 

When you settle out of court, it means both parties can resolve the dispute a lot more quickly, freeing up time to focus on the rest of their lives, in whatever way they want and need to. Why make something unpleasant take even longer than it needs to when you don’t have to? And remember, if a legal expert like Bryan Freedman feels like settling out of court can be a good option and has even done it himself, then that has to tell you something about how to choose your battles and when to draw a line underneath everything and get your life back. 

Control Over The Outcome

If you have to go to trial about something, the outcome is always going to be in someone else’s hands - either the judge or the jury, depending on the type of court case you’re dealing with. When that’s the case, you’ve got no control at all about what happens, and although you can present all the evidence and put up a good defense, the fact is that you can never be sure about what the outcome is going to be. 

When you settle out of court, however, you’ve got as much control as you need - you can negotiate a good deal and walk away, rather than having to leave all the decisions to other people, and in the end, you’ll probably be happier with the result when you’re the one creating it.