Non-Court Dispute Resolution

Family Mediation

Family Mediation is a process where separating couples, whether married or not, discuss arrangements about children and financial matters to try to reach an agreement without going through formal court proceedings.

It enables people to negotiate family arrangements that suit them, with the assistance of a trained and neutral third party.

Our specialist family law team will guide you through the whole process, from making the initial referral to supporting you and advising you about the final agreement reached. Additionally, we can prepare the relevant documents to record any agreement reached in the mediation process such as parenting plans in relation to children issues and financial remedy consent orders which are submitted to the court in financial cases following divorce. Separation agreements can also be prepared which set out full details of the agreement reached, which can be particularly useful for couples who are not married or for married couples who are not ready to proceed with a formal financial order.

Members of our specialist family law team can provide further, detailed advice on this form of Non-Court Dispute Resolution.

Fixed Fee 30 Minute Consultation

Please click here for details of our Fixed Fee 30 Minute Consultation.

Read our briefing note on Alternatives to Family Court Proceedings.

 Collaborative Law Process

Collaborative law is another dispute resolution option where separated couples, again whether they are married or not, work together in face-to-face meetings with their former partner and their lawyer to negotiate an agreement about child arrangements and/or financial and property issues.

This process enables separated couples to ‘think outside the box’ to find a workable solution that meets their and their family’s needs. It also enables couples to work at their own pace and retain control over the process.

Members of our specialist family law team are trained in collaborative law and can provide further, detailed advice on this form of Non-Court Dispute Resolution.

Fixed Fee 30 Minute Consultation

Please click here for details of our Fixed Fee 30 Minute Consultation.

Read our briefing note on Alternatives to Family Court Proceedings.

Early Neutral Evaluation/Private FDRs

For people who do not want to become involved in lengthy and expensive court cases following relationship breakdown obtaining an early neutral evaluation (‘ENE’) of their case from an experienced, independent qualified legal professional such as a solicitor, barrister or retired judge can prove invaluable.

The impartial assessment provides an invaluable insight into how their case might be decided by a court. It shows parties the strengths and weaknesses of their case, which can facilitate an early settlement, considerably reducing costs and stress.

An ENE can be obtained in children matters.

A Private Financial Dispute Resolution (‘PFDR’) hearing can be used in financial cases to replicate the court-led process but again with the assistance of legal professionals to provide an indication of the likely outcome at a final hearing, to allow parties to negotiate around this.

The purpose of both ENEs and Private FDRs is to assist with settlement discussions, but a decision cannot be imposed on the parties, and it is still open to them to pursue a court determination if no settlement is reached.

Members of our specialist family law team can provide further, detailed advice on this form of Non-Court Dispute Resolution.

Fixed Fee 30 Minute Consultation

Please click here for details of our Fixed Fee 30 Minute Consultation.

Read our briefing note on Alternatives to Family Court Proceedings.

Arbitration

Arbitration is a form of Non-Court Dispute Resolution where the parties appoint an arbitrator (who is usually an experienced solicitor, barrister or retired judge, trained and qualified as an arbitrator) to make a binding decision about arrangements for children and/or financial and property issues.

It is a very useful option for separating couples as it enables them to select the arbitrator themselves, who may have a particular specialism appropriate to an individual case; the parties can choose where and when the arbitration will be heard (including at weekends and/or evenings); the process can be much quicker than court proceedings and it can be a totally private process, unlike court proceedings where members of the press can attend court hearings.

Members of our specialist family law team can provide further, detailed advice on this form of Non-Court Dispute Resolution.

Fixed Fee 30 Minute Consultation

Please click here for details of our Fixed Fee 30 Minute Consultation.

Read our briefing note on Alternatives to Family Court Proceedings.