Here in the United States, the legal system handles a wide variety of different cases. For instance, cases of environmental law (such as cases surrounding pollution liability, though this is certainly far from being the only case of environmental law seen) are very common indeed. After all, more and more people are growing concerned for the state of our environment, with nearly half (around 40%, to be just a bit more specific) of all Americans stating anxiety over everything from radon to refrigerants, carbon and methane emissions to exposure to volatile organic compounds. Concern over things like the tropospheric ozone, particulate matter, and sulfur oxides is also very much on the rise.
And this concern is far from being misplaced. Unfortunately, many top scientists agree that it is now or never to make a change to better the state of our planet. Already, the impact of climate change is being felt in many parts of the world. Here in the United States, even, water shortages are likely to occur in the next few decades (at least in the lower United States) if changes are not being made. Fortunately, however, environmental law can make some of these changes.
For instance, various legal cases have helped to shut down industrial plants all throughout the country. And by shutting down a single industrial plant, promising change can be made. After all, cases of pulmonary disease, as well as heart disease, dropped once said plant was closed for a considerable period of time. An estimated 5,000 lives can be saved by closing such a plant as well, all within the course of a single year.
And it’s not just environmental law that’s important in our legal system as we know it. Dispute resolution is also very important indeed, of this there is no doubt. Dispute resolution is often handled by a mediator, and can be utilized in many different legal situations. In fact, proper dispute resolution can even prevent a case from ever needing to be handled within a court room.
Personal injury litigation often utilizes mediation and dispute resolution. As a matter of fact, only about 4% or so of all personal injury cases will be seen in a courtroom. The rest will be handled through other methods of dispute resolution. and personal injury cases can encompass many different issues, from cases of product liability and premises liability to cases of medical malpractice and injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents. Using forms of dispute resolution outside of the courtroom itself will save time and money alike for everyone involved.
Dispute resolution is also commonly used in divorce cases. In many cases, a divorce can take up to a year, if not even longer, before being finalized – something that can have a considerable detriment on the lives of those involved. As any divorcing couple can attest to, getting it over with and done is the main objective. Mediators can provide dispute resolution for such couples, helping them to, as amicably as is possible considering the situation, decide on the terms of their divorce. For many couples, such dispute resolution has been hugely helpful indeed, something that should not be overlooked.
And dispute resolution at the hands of an experienced mediator can be used for many other types of legal cases as well. For instance, dispute resolution is likely to be employed in patent disputes. Patent law is very important, but patent disputes are not particularly uncommon. Dispute resolution can also be used for cases of intellectual property as well as cases of contract disputes – and even more. At the end of the day, dispute resolution provides a benefit to all sides of a legal debacle.
Here in the United States, our legal world is most certainly a complex one. From divorce cases to complex civil litigation to cases revolving around environmental law to cases that deal with patent disputes, there are a great many different types of legal cases handled here in the United States – and only a few of them have been touched upon in this article. At the end of the day, there is just no denying the important role that all kinds of legal professionals are now playing.