A new scheme has been launched to enable family disputes to be resolved by arbitration. This scheme has been set up by the newly formed Institute of Family Law Arbitrators (IFLA), a not for profit organisation, created by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), the Family Law Bar Association, and the family lawyers' group Resolution, in association with the Centre for Child and Family Law Reform.
IFLA will govern and promote the scheme for family law arbitration in England and Wales. Arbitration will provide another means of resolving family law disputes relating to finance or property, outside of a formal court process.
Arbitration under the scheme will be conducted under the family arbitration rules which have been developed by IFLA for the scheme. This means divorcing couples can agree to appoint their own arbitrator, or have the IFLA select one for them from its register of approved arbitrators.
The scheme covers: financial disputes arising from divorce; claims on inheritance from a child, spouse etc; financial claims made in England and Wales after a divorce abroad; claims for child maintenance between unmarried parents; disputes about ownership of a property between cohabiting couples and civil partnership financial claims. Disputes will be resolved exclusively by applying the laws of this country, in the same way as the Family Courts.
Find out more about Collaborative Law here.