Most civil disputes in which a lawsuit is filed (civil litigation) are resolved by compromise and voluntary settlement agreements between the parties—whether the disputes involve divorce, child custody, and child support matters, or contracts and intellectual property (patents, copyrights, and trademarks) claims by businesses. Only a small percentage of lawsuits filed in the United States are resolved by jury trials.
In Georgia, as in the rest of the United States, the majority of civil disputes that lead to litigation are typically resolved through settlements reached by mutual agreement between the parties involved, rather than proceeding to a jury trial. This applies to a wide range of civil matters, including family law issues such as divorce, child custody, and child support, as well as business-related disputes involving contracts and intellectual property rights like patents, copyrights, and trademarks. Settlements are often preferred as they can provide a more cost-effective, timely, and private resolution to disputes. The courts in Georgia generally encourage parties to engage in alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation or arbitration to facilitate settlements. Only a small fraction of civil lawsuits go to trial, which is consistent with the national trend.