Avoiding Court: Four Alternative Methods

Avoiding court is a common goal of many clients. Not only can it be expensive and time consuming, but it can also be emotionally exhausting and do further damage the parties' relationship particularly when they need co-parent. Being prepared for court ensures that a client will always give themselves the best chance at a favorable outcome to their case, but that does not mean a case may not be better served by staying out of court.

"Alternative dispute resolution" is a phrase more commonly heard in civil and commercial litigation cases, but the same principles apply in family court. It describes a category of methods for keeping cases out of court and away from traditional litigation. The advantages being that the parties have more control over the time-frame, costs, and legal issues being addressed in their case. The following is a list of the most common alternatives to going to court: