When to negotiate a settlement during a lawsuit?

When to negotiate a settlement during a lawsuit?

Usually there is a point while negotiating a settlement during litigation when the parties are frank about how much they are willing to pay and how much they are willing to take to settle a lawsuit. At this point, the parties may come to a “take it or leave it” mentality, and each party stands on their final offers.

When do both parties want a settlement point?

Both parties want to get to a settlement point, a number that both negotiators can live with. The resistance point is the number that either party has identified as their walk-away point.

Where is the bargaining zone in a negotiation?

The bargaining zone is the room between the resistance points in which the bargaining will occur. Both parties keep these limits close to the vest. As we saw in the graphic, there is quite a bit of room between perception and the real resistance points.

Do you reveal your resistance points in a negotiation?

However, when going into negotiations, do not reveal your target or resistance points: The other party will know exactly how far to push you, and they will push you right up to the limit. However, you should still try to figure out the other party’s aspirations (or target points) and their resistance points (or bottom line)!

Where does the final settlement of a negotiation fall?

Bargaining zone (or zone of possible agreements, ZOPA): the range between negotiators’ reservation points. The final settlement of a negotiation will fall somewhere above the seller’s reservation point and below the buyer’s reservation point.

When is the best time to start settlement negotiations?

Settlement negotiations are most effective at the proverbial sweet spot, when each side has the information it believes it needs to make a judgment about settlement but before discovery expenses allow the sunk costs mentality to take hold.

Bargaining zone (or zone of possible agreements, ZOPA): the range between negotiators’ reservation points. The final settlement of a negotiation will fall somewhere above the seller’s reservation point and below the buyer’s reservation point. The bargaining zone can be either positive or negative.

Why is it important to negotiate a settlement during litigation?

In addition, while negotiating a settlement during litigation, the party receiving an offer might be unwilling to talk if the initial offer is too high. As a result, it is important that the initial offer be reasonable, but still provide enough room for parties to negotiate the terms of the settlement.