Very few divorce cases actually go to trial. Trial imposes great emotional cost (airing dirty laundry in public; giving your life decisions to someone else) as well as financial cost (attorney preparation and trial presentation, subpoena costs, expert witness fees, etc.). Most cases are settled and of those, most settlements occur as a result of mediation, a method of alternative dispute resolution. Mediation in divorce cases is provided for under the court rules and is a cost-effective way to resolve a case. However, each side must be prepared to compromise.