Can You Settle a Partnership Dispute After Litigation has Already Started?

Are you deep into a business partnership dispute? Even if litigation has already started, you can still reach a settlement. Here, our West Palm Beach partnership dispute attorney explains how settlement could still be an option even if litigation has already started in your case.

What Does it Mean to Start Litigation? 

That you are involved in a partnership dispute does not mean that you are (or will be) litigating your case. Starting litigation means actually taking a dispute to court. In the context of a partnership dispute, it involves one or more partners filing a lawsuit against the other(s). In most partnership disputes that end up in litigation, a demand letter will be sent prior to the start of litigation.

Litigation formally begins when the plaintiff—the person, persons, or entity bringing the lawsuit—filed a legal complaint with a court. Along with other things, a complaint outlines the basis of the dispute, explains the basis for liability, states the harm suffered, and the relief or compensation that is being sought.

Note: Once filed, the court serves the defendant with the complaint. They will then have a chance to respond. To be clear, starting litigation is a major step.

 You Can Try to Settle a Partnership Dispute At Any Point During Litigation 

It is important to know that settling a partnership dispute is always an option—even after litigation has already started. A settlement involves negotiating an agreement between the disputing parties without the need for a trial. The parties can come to terms at any stage of the litigation process—from before discovery starts to when the parties are walking up to the courthouse steps to start a trial to mid-way through a trial itself. Indeed, even when partnership dispute litigation is ongoing, settlements are often encouraged by courts as a way to resolve disputes efficiently.

Why Settlement Negotiations Can Be Effective Even in High-Conflict Partnership Disputes 

Are you stuck in a particularly difficult, highly combative partnership dispute? It would still be a mistake to assume that settlement is not an option. Through a settlement, you could potentially resolve a partnership dispute in a manner that:

• Saves time;
• Saves money;
• Maintains confidentiality;
• Provides flexibility;
• Repairs a relationship; and
• Secures a better result.

Even when litigation is ongoing, it is always best to at least consider settlement. A top-tier Florida partnership lawyer can review your case, evaluate the matter, and help you develop a strategy to settle your partnership dispute or to resolve it through litigation.

 Contact Our West Palm Beach Partnership Dispute Attorney for Immediate Legal Help

At Pike & Lustig, LLP, our West Palm Beach partnership dispute lawyer has the knowledge, skills, and experience that you can rely on. If you have any questions about settlement and partnership litigation, please do not hesitate to contact us today for a confidential case review. With an office in West Palm Beach and another office in Miami, we handle partnership disputes throughout Florida.