SvsG Benefits of Written Negotiation

Staddon vs. Griever: Advantages to Written Negotiation

Written negotiation has clear advantages to both parties, especially in a complex case like this one; I have not been able to think of any disadvantages.

in objective terms

• Anyone who gives false or contradictory information, or who replies without really answering the questions at hand, will go on record as having done so.
• In the event that either party feels that the process was unfair (either during or afterwards), they will have documentation of this unfairness
• Neither party will have to be inconvenienced by the stress and slowness which is inevitable in any situation where negotiation can only take place when both parties meet face-to-face, and when
  • negotiation can only take place on on a date when both parties are available and prepared to lose an entire day
  • said parties have had great difficulty agreeing about anything much in the past, especially meeting dates
  • one party has to travel 325 miles each direction in order to be at said meeting, and has to make arrangements to deal with being away from home overnight
  • both parties have very busy schedules, inevitably resulting in much rescheduling of each meeting date
• Parties will not have to meet face-to-face, which would obviously be stressful for all involved
• More time is allowed for each party to process what the other party has said, calm down if necessary, and compose a solid, carefully-considered reply, leading to better dialogue
• Taking time to reply accurately, as well as to do research towards one's answer, is not penalized as harshly as it would be in the heavily time-constrained environment of face-to-face negotiation in a courtroom
• Each party's ability to research information will not be constrained by whatever documents they happen to have brought with them to the courtroom

in Griever-ese

• If Nick says something really outrageous, his idiocy will be on record for the whole world to see
• If you end up getting screwed by the process, you will have written proof of how insanely corrupt and unfair the legal system is
• You won't have to see Nick, speak with him, or be in his presence
• You can take the necessary time to recover from the ridiculousness and spun-ness of Nick's absurd claims before having to reply, thus allowing truth and righteousness to prevail
• Or, as you once said, "Lose with truth and right rather than gain with falsehood and wrong." – Maimonides, "Tzavaah"