How to Handle Relationships During a Family Lawsuit

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Getting sued is never a good thing. It’s even worse if the person suing you is a family member. Below are a few steps you can take to handle your relationships even if you’re being sued by someone in your family.


Determine the Cause


It’s always important to start by finding out the root cause of the lawsuit. While you might have been sued for a specific reason, try to figure out if there’s an underlying problem that caused your relative to go through the legal system instead of talking to you. In some cases, your relative might not have a choice; in other situations, though, you might be able to work something out without having to go to court. Try to avoid involving other family members at this stage so that no one has to take sides. Work one-on-one with the other person or party to determine the issue and if there are any solutions.


Consider Mediation


If you can’t talk the situation out with your relative, mediation might be the next best option. Mediation is a type of alternative dispute resolution that involves sitting down with a neutral third party to help you and the individual suing you to reach some kind of compromise that satisfies both parties without having to go to court. Again, it is important that this is a neutral third party and not another family member who is trying to settle the dispute. While mediation doesn’t always work, it does allow for the creation of more creative solutions that can’t be made in a traditional court.


Look into Settling


Depending on the reason for the suit, it might make more sense to settle than to go through the lengthy process of a lawsuit. If you don’t have the money on-hand to settle the suit, don’t worry—you can find legal settlement loans in 24 hours. If you feel like the person suing you has a very good chance of winning in court or if you simply want the issue to be resolved quickly, this is usually your best option.


Protect Your Relationships


Finally, do some damage control to ensure that you don’t miss out on important relationships. Don’t badmouth the other party, and don’t share any information that’s not entirely factual. Take care to remember that you’re going to have to deal with at least some of your relatives after the suit, even if you’re not going to speak to the person who sued you. Though some of your familial relationships can be damaged during this process, you don’t have to damage all of them.


There’s no good way to be sued by a family member, but you can handle the relationships with a little bit of effort. Try to figure out why the other party is suing you, work with a mediator if you can’t settle the problem between the two of you, and consider settling to end the process quickly. When the suit is over, you can decide if you’re interested in healing the rift it may have caused.

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