Family Law Arbitration Lawyers.

Although there is a cost to appointing an arbitrator, that is almost always outweighed by the savings you make in legal costs due to the shorter overall process. Arbitration is usually quicker than the court system, making it more cost-effective.

Not only that, but you are also free to only use an arbitrator for certain specific elements of the process. By limiting the scope of the proceedings, you can save a great deal of time and money.

Unlike going to court, where you must abide by the location and timescales mandated by the court, you retain much more control of the arbitration process. You will be involved in choosing the location of the meetings, and even whether you need to meet in person or remotely. Some arbitration proceedings are conducted in writing, in circumstances where the parties do not wish to meet.

By using arbitration, you also have control over the person presiding over proceedings. Not all judges who hear family law cases are family law experts. When you choose an arbitrator, you can select someone with extensive experience in family law matters. Typically, senior solicitors and barristers who work as family law arbitrators are passionate about this area of law and the arbitration process, so will be committed to achieving a successful outcome.

The parties in arbitration proceedings can agree to keep the details of the negotiations confidential, unlike a public Court process. This can be beneficial in circumstances where you would prefer that your family and financial circumstances were not disclosed.

Court proceedings cannot guarantee that you will be before the same judge throughout the process; you may well find that a different judge presides over different hearings. When you appoint an arbitrator, you ensure that you will have continuity throughout the process – the same person will deal with each stage of negotiations, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of the circumstances.

Such is the current pressure on court time, family cases are taking up to 6 months to reach the initial hearing stage – final hearings, requiring a full day in court, are taking longer. Arbitration offers a much quicker means of resolving your dispute and finalising the situation.

The pressure the courts are under is such that all financial final hearings are “at risk”, meaning the hearing can be delayed if a public law case involving a child requires court time. This can happen as close to 48 hours before the scheduled hearing. At such an emotional and stressful time, the certainty of an arbitration process you control can be hugely beneficial.