We all know divorce is a horrible thing to go through. More than 230,000 people in the UK get divorced each year. Many of us have seen friends and relatives separate and the impact it has on families.
Divorce and separation does not have to be devastating. There are options that can make the process less traumatic, limit conflict and reduce the impact on the couple’s children.
We are taking part in the National Family Dispute Resolution Week (25 – 29 November 2013) to highlight the alternatives to court for separating and divorcing couples.
Family Dispute Resolution Week was launched across the UK by Resolution last year to raise the profile of alternative options among the public, government & opinion-formers, and those working in family law.
Our family lawyers are members of Resolution, a body made up of 6,500 family lawyers and other professionals committed to the constructive resolution of family disputes. Members follow a code of practice that promotes a non-confrontational approach to family problems and encourages solutions that consider the needs of the whole family – and in particular the best interests of children.
What is dispute resolution?
Dispute resolution includes a number of settlement-seeking processes including collaborative law, mediation, negotiation, conciliation and arbitration. These are alternative processes to court proceedings.
At Willans, we have a collaboratively-trained family team of lawyers ranked by independent legal directories. Senior associate, Jonathan Eager is an accredited specialist of Resolution.
What is collaborative law?
This is an approach in which each party instructs a specially trained collaborative lawyer. The two lawyers and their clients work together cooperatively in order to resolve matters without going to court. The aim is to reach settlement in constructive, four-way meetings in which the lawyers provide legal advice and guidance to their clients and encourage them to negotiate with each other. If no settlement is reached, new lawyers in different firms have to be instructed for court proceedings.
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Disclaimer: All legal information is correct at the time of publication but please be aware that laws may change over time. This article contains general legal information but should not be relied upon as legal advice. Please seek professional legal advice about your specific situation - contact us; we’d be delighted to help.
