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 South Carolina, as in other states, the majority of civil disputes that lead to litigation are typically resolved through settlements and compromise between the parties involved, rather than proceeding to a jury trial. This trend is consistent across various types of civil cases, including family law matters 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 efficient, cost-effective, and private resolution to legal conflicts. The court system in South Carolina encourages settlement through various means, including mandatory mediation in certain cases, to facilitate the resolution of disputes without the need for a full trial. Consequently, only a small fraction of civil lawsuits filed actually reach the stage of a jury trial.