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Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Zahid Law Associates provides professional mediator services and legal support through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms. ADR allows individuals and businesses to resolve disputes informally, efficiently, and cost-effectively with the assistance of a neutral third-party mediator.

Alternative dispute resolution in Pakistan has become an increasingly effective method for settling legal conflicts without lengthy court proceedings. Through mediation, parties can resolve disputes promptly while maintaining confidentiality and preserving relationships.

Lawyer-Supported Mediation


Lawyer-supported mediation is a term given to a new dispute resolution process offered to parties to settled their matters with regard to all issues, which includes Divorce, Child custody, Civil disputes , Rent & Property disputes and dishonored checks.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

The approach sets out to integrate the contribution of a family lawyer or solicitor with that of a family mediator. Users of lawyer-supported mediation first meet their respective lawyers to take advice before jointly attending mediation sessions. Legal advice is taken between sessions to inform options being discussed at mediation. Following mediation, the lawyers are called upon to review any agreement reached and to make aspects of it legally binding. Since neither lawyer is initially being retained as a negotiator or litigator, the cost of legal advice in mediator services is typically fixed for clients choosing lawyer-supported mediation.

In the event of lawyer-supported mediation failing to deliver a partial or full agreement, both parties are free to retain their respective lawyers to pursue litigation. This is not the case with collaborative law, where a breakdown in roundtable negotiations requires each party to instruct a new family lawyer before proceeding with court action.

Role of a Mediator


Often disputes arise out of a misunderstanding concerning the expectations and responsibilities of the parties. These disputes may be settled agreeably once a dialogue is established. A mediator does not act as a judge or decision-maker but as a neutral individual whose purpose is to facilitate settlement between the parties.

Understanding Alternative Dispute Resolution

The term “alternative dispute resolution,” or “ADR,” is often used to describe a wide variety of dispute resolution mechanisms that are alternative to full-scale court processes. The term can refer to everything from facilitated settlement negotiations in which disputants are encouraged to negotiate directly with each other prior to some other legal process to arbitration systems or mini-trials that look and feel very much like a courtroom process. Processes designed to manage community tension or facilitate community development issues can also be included within the rubric of community-based Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) systems may be generally categorized as negotiation, conciliation/mediation, or arbitration systems. Negotiation systems create a structure to encourage and facilitate direct negotiation between parties to a dispute, without the intervention of a third party. Mediation and conciliation systems are very similar in that they inject a third party between the disputants, either to mediate a specific dispute or to reconcile their relationship. Mediators and conciliators may simply facilitate communication or may help direct and structure a settlement, but they do not have the authority to decide or rule on a settlement. Arbitration systems authorize a third party to decide how a dispute should be resolved.

What are the types of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Types of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Pakistan

Two major forms of alternative dispute resolution in Pakistan have traditionally existed:

1. Traditional ADR Systems

Traditional ADR mechanisms have existed for centuries in local communities. These include:

  • Panchayat in Punjab
  • Jirga in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan

These systems were effective in resolving simple disputes but often faced challenges when dealing with complex or status-related conflicts.

2. Public Body-Based ADR Systems

Public institutions have also implemented ADR systems to address specific legal matters. These include:

  • Arbitration Councils
  • Union Councils
  • Conciliation Courts

Arbitration Councils were primarily responsible for matters related to divorce, permission for second marriage, and maintenance of existing wives under the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961.

Union Councils provided arbitration forums through elected councilors and handled family-related disputes under the same law.

Conciliation Courts, established under the Conciliation Courts Ordinance 1961, were given limited civil, criminal, and financial jurisdiction to settle minor disputes quickly.

However, many of these initiatives became less effective due to the frequent dissolution of local councils and the absence of structured training or capacity-building programs for their members.