Talking to the Other Side: Options
 

Many legal problems can be resolved through negotiation. You have several options for negotiating with the other side.

• Write a letter to the other side to try to work it out.
• Call the other side to meet and try to work out a compromise.
• Use the complaint and mediation services of a government agency (such as Attorney General’s Office, the Better Business Bureau or other government oversight agencies).
• Mediation - Use a neutral third party to try and reach an agreement.
• Arbitration - Use a neutral third party to try to decide what is fair.

Negotiating on your own behalf can be the solution to many minor disputes. Before negotiating a problem, know what your legal position is by:

• calling a legal advice hotline; or

• finding out your rights and obligations by reviewing the information on the Peoples Law Library website www.peoples-law.org, a legal information and self-help advocacy website for Maryland residents.

Also, consider preparing for a negotiation by doing your own legal research on the topic.

Finally, you may want to consider hiring an attorney to review papers or provide advice rather than seeking full representation, sometimes called “unbundled legal services”.

Whichever option you choose, these tips on negotiation will help you to prepare.

• Practical Tips on negotiating with the other side
• Common Mistakes that you can avoid