Mediation: In mediation, a neutral mediator assists the parties in reaching a voluntary agreement. The mediator facilitates communication between the parties, helps identify issues, and explores possible solutions. Unlike a judge, the mediator does not impose a decision but rather facilitates a dialogue aimed at finding a mutually acceptable resolution. Mediation is often used in family disputes, commercial disputes, workplace conflicts, and community disputes.

Arbitration: Arbitration involves submitting a dispute to one or more arbitrators who then render a binding decision, known as an arbitral award. Arbitration can be either ad-hoc, where the parties agree on the arbitrator and procedures, or administered by an arbitration institution. The arbitration process is more formal than mediation but less formal than court litigation. It is commonly used in commercial contracts, labor disputes, construction disputes, and international disputes.

Negotiation: Negotiation is the simplest form of ADR, involving direct communication between the parties to reach a mutually acceptable outcome without the involvement of a third party. Negotiation can take place before or during formal ADR processes like mediation or arbitration. It allows parties to retain control over the outcome and can be informal or structured, depending on the complexity of the dispute.

Conciliation: Conciliation is similar to mediation but often involves a more active role by the conciliator in proposing solutions and bridging the gap between the parties. The conciliator helps parties identify common interests, clarify issues, and explore possible solutions. Conciliation is commonly used in labor disputes, community conflicts, and interpersonal disputes.

Collaborative Law: In collaborative law, each party retains their own attorney but agrees to resolve the dispute through cooperative and transparent negotiation rather than adversarial litigation. The parties and their attorneys work together in joint sessions to find mutually acceptable solutions. If the collaborative process fails, the parties must retain new attorneys for litigation, which incentivizes them to work towards a resolution.