Litigation-I Win, You Lose vs. Mediation-Win/Win

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  Litigation is a zero-sum game.  It destroys relationships and fosters enmity between the parties.  Parties rarely walk away happy.  Even if they win, the expense of litigation is enormous, and collecting on judgments is difficult. Disputes ultimately resolve, but the focus on winning at any cost can lead to prolonged legal battles.  Living with a lawsuit causes ongoing stress, which can distract you from your business and even have an effect on your health. In a courtroom, the final decision lies with a judge or jury who may not fully grasp the complexities of the case. Parties relinquish control over the outcome, potentially leaving them dissatisfied with the final judgment. Mediation has the opposite effect.   Rather than polarizing people, it enables the parties to attack the issues and not each other.     The process promotes open communication, collaboration and problem-solving, which enables parties to actively participate in crafting ...

The Massachusetts Prompt Pay Statute and Back Charges

I recently had the occasion to file my first lawsuit under the (relatively) new Prompt Pay Statute in Massachusetts.  The Prompt Pay Statute applies to construction projects of three million dollars or more.  There is a clause in the law that covers change orders.  It states that in order for a change order to be rejected, the owner or higher level contractor must state the contractual or factual basis for the rejection, and must certify that it is made in good faith.  The rejection also has to be made within a certain amount of time after submission of the change order depending on the level of the contractor (30 days for the owner plus 7 days for each level of subcontractor on down).  As part of this lawsuit, I alleged that back charges were issued late in violation of the contract, but I also stated that back charges are simply change orders after the fact, and for that reason,  the owner should have to state the contractual or factual basis for the back charges and certify that they are made in good faith.

What do you think?

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