Family Law Arbitration

Arbitration is a process whereby a legally binding outcome known as a reward is made if you have been unable to reach agreement on a range of family related financial issues with your spouse or partner.

Family Law Arbitration is run by the Institute of Family Law Arbitrators (IFLA).

The IFLA scheme can cover financial and property disputes arising from the breakdown of a relationship, whether unmarried, married or civil partners, financial provision for children and inheritance issues.

So, what are the benefits of Arbitration?

You can choose the Arbitrator to conduct your case. Both parties can decide who is right for the issues in their case, and consider the experience of the Arbitrator.  The majority of barrister’s chambers has qualified Arbitrators.

Arbitration hearings are conducted in private the same as court hearings. If confidentiality is a priority for you, then arbitration is ideal.You will have control of the listings of the arbitration hearings and can set them at a pace that suits you and allows necessary paperwork and directions to be complied with. As family lawyers, we know the significant delays in the court system currently, and how long it is until a hearing can be listed, often months and months.  In arbitration, you can have the continuity of the same arbitrator, as they will remain throughout the entire process which then brings control over when steps are taken and decisions that are made.

Hearings will always be on a date, and at a venue, that suits you, and it can specifically focus on the issues that need to be dealt with and resolved. Costs of Arbitrators vary but you will be safe knowing that matters will be resolved swiftly and are likely to avoid numbers of hearing as you would experience in the court arena.  There is also the safe knowledge that it is highly unlikely any fixed arbitration hearing would be cancelled as is often the case these days in the court system, which then incurs clients wasted costs

Please note the above is for information purposes only and is intended to be a short summary. It should not be treated as a comprehensive guide and should not be acted on without qualified legal advice.