Civil litigation (as opposed to criminal litigation) covers a broad range of activities that take place before a lawsuit is filed, after a lawsuit is filed and as it is progressing toward trial, during the trial itself, whether in State or Federal Court or in some other forum such as arbitration, and can also include post-trial activities such as post-judgment proceedings and sometimes pursuit or defense of appeals. Litigation is oftentimes expensive, usually very time consuming, difficult to predict or control, and at times stressful and emotionally draining. Oftentimes litigation will involve intermediate steps that can include Alternative Dispute Resolution methods that offer alternatives that can lead to a resolution of the dispute short of a trial. Sometimes those opportunities for a resolution lend themselves to creative solutions, and sometimes even the possibility of a win/win solution can be negotiated, as opposed to a trial which typically requires the declaration of a winner or a loser.