Most civil disputes in which a lawsuit is filed (civil litigation) are resolved by compromise and voluntary settlement agreements between the parties—whether the disputes involve divorce, child custody, and child support matters, or contracts and intellectual property (patents, copyrights, and trademarks) claims by businesses. Only a small percentage of lawsuits filed in the United States are resolved by jury trials.
In Texas, as in other states, the majority of civil disputes that lead to litigation are typically resolved through compromise and voluntary settlement agreements between the parties involved. This trend holds true across various types of civil matters, including family law issues such as divorce, child custody, and child support, as well as business-related disputes involving contracts and intellectual property rights like patents, copyrights, and trademarks. Settlements are often preferred due to the time, expense, and uncertainty associated with trials. Consequently, only a small fraction of lawsuits filed actually proceed to a jury trial. The Texas legal system, through pre-trial procedures and court-encouraged mediation, supports and facilitates the settlement process to help parties reach an agreement without the need for a trial.
