Has anyone here settled outside the court?

I have been sued by a law firm over a credit card debt. I accept I owe the debt and trying to avoid being at the court. In couple of posts I have read about outside the court settlement but have also read the warning about losing the battle.

I couldn't find any clear direction on how to proceed with an outside the court settlement negotiation. Can anyone help me in this regard? Is it a good idea to negotiate a settlement? Has anyone won in an outside the court settlement?

Thanks in advance.

Lydia