Early
Neutral
Evaluation

Early neutral evaluation is a preliminary assessment of facts, evidence or legal merits. This process is designed to serve as a basis for further and fuller negotiations, or, at the very least, help parties avoid further unnecessary stages in litigation.

The parties appoint an independent person who expresses an opinion on the merits of the issues specified by them. The opinion is non-binding but provides an unbiased evaluation on relative positions and guidance as to the likely outcome should the case be heard in Court. The parties must agree the nature and extent of the material to be provided to the evaluator and whether there are to be oral submissions.