The Border Fence DisputeLegal Problem SummaryThis problem Alice faces doesn't seem like a legal problem at all, but rather a common dispute. Alice raised the issue of the border fence being in poor condition to her neighbor Boris and that she would like to replace it or at least repair it, but Boris refused to even consider paying his share. This is not just a common dispute, but truly a legal issue. Alice should not pay the full price for repairing a fence that they both share, but the costs should be split between both of them. But because Boris refused to pay his share of repairing the fence, a legal problem arose. Description of the various sources of legal assistance available to Alice In a dispute like this, there is not much that the law can actually do to resolve the problem until all other methods of dealing with the dispute have been tried. These methods start from negotiation with the neighbor, up to mediation, which is a process that includes a third party of two mediators to help the two parties reach an agreement between them. Mediation is seen as a better alternative to taking a dispute to court simply because of its informality and flexibility. It takes less time and is less expensive, which is a big plus when dealing with smaller disputes like this fence issue. Mediation is a great way to resolve disputes as it brings both parties to neutral grounds and allows them to resolve the dispute on their own. But if in the rare case that mediation does not resolve the dispute, then the matter may be taken away... middle of paper... because the legal system relies so heavily on oral evidence and therefore you will be at a great disadvantage when shows up in court. Some people may also be aware of their rights, but may have difficulty communicating their concerns to the legal system. To overcome this problem of not being able to communicate adequately in the legal system, Alice may need the services of an interpreter, to help her express her ideas, although this would slow down the process. § Ability to pay for legal help The high cost of legal representation can influence a person's decision whether or not to take a civil matter to court, or whether to abandon a case. Lawyers are extremely expensive, so a good alternative would be legal aid as they are free and don't leave a big hit in your wallet.