With the costs and risks associated with litigating a matter through the court system, indvidiuals and companies often turn to alternate dispute resolution ("ADR"), whether mediation or arbitration, as a means of efficiently resolving their disputes. Mediation involves the use of a third-party neutral to assist the parties in negotiating an agreement that each can accept. Arbitration, whether voluntary or mandatory, involves the third-party neutral conducting a private, simplified version of a trial, and providing the parties with a decision as to liability and, when appropriate, damages. Dennis F. Carey III, a former litigator and Superior Court Presiding Civil Part judge in Essex, the busiest vicinage in the state, offers customized ADR solutions to a wide variety of disputes.