Skill and Experience in Burnsville Family Law Arbitrations
"Wisdom is knowing what to do next; Virtue is doing it." David Starr Jordan
In most family law cases, the parties can agree on some issues. The issues they can't resolve are sometimes very narrow, very detailed, very personal or not cost-effective to bring to the Court. An option for getting these issues resolved is arbitration, one form of out-of-court alternative dispute resolution.
An arbitrator is a decision-maker. The parties can choose the arbitrator. They can choose either non-binding arbitration (which becomes the decision unless a party seeks de novo review) or binding arbitration.
An arbitration proceeds in a manner similar to a trial in that the parties present sworn testimony and present exhibits. There is an opportunity for cross-examination. However, the proceeding is much more informal than the formality of the courtroom and usually occurs in the arbitrator's conference room.
While attorneys can attend an arbitration hearing and in some situations should (such as if there is an Order of Protection between the parties), many family law clients choose to participate in arbitration without their attorneys. In those cases, it is helpful for clients to consult with their attorneys about the law, relevant facts and presentation tips before coming to the arbitration hearing.
The types of issues that I have most commonly arbitrated in family law cases are as follows:
- Division of household goods and furnishings.
- Disputed shared expenses such as unreimbursed medical and dental expenses or extracurricular expenses.
- Choice of school.
- Post-decree issues relating to exercising an option to purchase the former homestead.
- The meaning of a disputed term in a parenting plan given certain facts.
- Review of incomes and updating a child support Order.
You will benefit from my knowledge of arbitration during my representation of you in a family law matter as we assess what forum is best suited to your issues, or alternatively, when you seek an arbitrator who has many years of practical and legal experience with family law issues.
Contact a Compassionate Divorce Arbitrator
To learn more about Dakota County divorce arbitrations and the services I offer, call Deborah N. Dewalt, Attorney at Law, Family Law Neutral, locally at 952-641-7455 or toll free at 866-919-7417. You can also send a message to my Burnsville office via the online contact form. All messages are returned as promptly as possible.
