Divorce and other family law disagreements can often be unnecessarily expensive and stressful if they reach the courtroom.
One way to avoid this is to take a calm, civilised approach to agree on terms with the other party. Non-Court Dispute Resolution (Alternative Dispute Resolution or ADR) can reduce the time and cost for everyone and has other benefits such as increased privacy and the avoidance of protracted court proceedings.
The vast majority of cases are settled without a judge having to make a decision. Reaching agreement out of court has a far higher rate of success and is much more attractive than a judge imposing a decision which, in all likelihood, neither party is happy with. In addition, reaching an agreement out of court generally takes much less time and money than the pursuit of a court-based approach.
Out of court methods can also help to avoid rifts developing between the parties involved due to direct communication, with both sides working through the issues together. It can also benefit future communication and relationships, which is important for all family members – especially any children involved.
