Early Neutral Evaluation (ENE) encourages direct communication between adversarial parties about possible claims and supporting evidence.  ENE proceedings are traditionally confidential, and can be important in situations where the parties are far apart in their views on how the law applies to the case in question, or what the case is worth.  In these instances, an evaluation of the dispute that seeks to determine best and worst case alternatives can lead to a negotiated agreement. Parties engaging in the ENE process receive a neutral evaluation of the issues in dispute.  The parties receive the neutral evaluator’s non-binding report, which consists of an unbiased opinion of the issues presented.  The report is meant to serve as a catalyst for settlement negotiations, to enhance communication between the parties, and to dispose of specific issues prior to proceeding with other dispute resolution options.