Alternative Dispute Resolution is a mechanism by which different types of legal disputes are resolved through out-of-court processes like arbitration, and mediation as an alternative to civil litigation. ADR methods can be effective in reducing the time, money, and adversarial nature associated with traditional court-based proceedings.
Hanford is an important commercial and cultural center in the south central San Joaquin Valley and is the county seat of Kings County, California. It is the principal city of the Hanford-Corcoran, California Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 25260), which encompasses all of Kings County, including the cities of Hanford and Corcoran. The ZIP Code is 93230. The city of Hanford is surrounded by communities that do not fall within the city limits but use the same zip code. These communities include Grangeville, Hardwick and Home Garden. The population was 41,686 at the 2000 census. The California Department of Finance estimates that the population had grown to 52,687 as of January 1, 2009.. By 2010, Hanford will have an estimated population of 54,286, increasing to an estimated 70,177 by 2020.