Family Arbitration

What is Family Arbitration?

Family arbitration is a form of dispute resolution which is quick, versatile and can be tailored to your particular circumstances. It can be used to resolve financial disputes and issues concerning children.

One of the key benefits of arbitration is that you are not required to attend court, which makes the process agile and streamlined.

The arbitration process starts with both parties appointing a legal professional, known as an Arbitrator, to adjudicate on their dispute and make a final decision which is legally binding.

What role do K J Smith Solicitors have in the Arbitration process?

Our expert family lawyers are involved from the outset. We will help you select the most suitable Arbitrator for your case, work with you to determine the core issues in dispute and prepare the legal paperwork on your behalf throughout the process.

We will represent and advise you at whichever location is most convenient for you. This could be at our offices, or at the offices of the Arbitrator.

What issues can be dealt with during Arbitration?

Almost all family law issues can be dealt with through arbitration, including:

• Financial matters arising from divorce and separation.
• Child arrangement disputes and other matters relating to children in the event of a breakdown in a relationship, whether you are married or not.
• Civil Partnership breakdown and the associated financial matters.
• Claims for financial provision for children where the parties are not married.
• Issues involving ownership of property where the parties are unmarried and cohabiting.

Is Family Arbitration the right option for me

Family arbitration has many benefits, such as:

• You are able to select the Arbitrator with a professional background most relevant to your matter, from a panel of accredited professionals.
• You can be sure that your chosen Arbitrator will deal with your matter from start to finish; this differs from court proceedings, where multiple Judges may be involved throughout the process.
• You can be confident that the process will lead to a conclusion in considerably less time than via the court.
• You will have a final, written decision which will be legally binding, enabling you to move forward with your life.

Video Conferencing - Meet Our Lawyers

Finding the right lawyer for you can be a difficult job, especially when you cannot meet them in person to talk through your concerns.

At K J Smith Solicitors, we believe that the current social distancing measures should not impact on your ability to access fast, free and personalised legal advice in your time of need. Whilst initial telephone consultations can be very useful, they can lack the personal touch especially when you are talking about sensitive matters concerning your children or family finances. Therefore why not arrange a free video consultation with us via Zoom, WhatsApp, MeetMe or Facetime?

Not only will you have the benefit of meeting your lawyer face to face from the comfort of your home or office but both you and your lawyer will be able to “screen share” documents facilitating better advice in relation to key issues.

Our flexible video conferencing service is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 6pm, until 9pm on Thursdays and between 10am and 3pm on Saturdays. We look forward to seeing you (virtually) very soon.

Free, no obligation consultation

We offer a free initial 45 minute consultation to give you the opportunity to meet us and find out more about Family Arbitration before deciding if you wish to proceed in instructing us to act on your behalf.

Please contact our divorce lawyers today on 01491 630000 (Henley on Thames), 0118 418 1000 (Reading Head Office), 0118 418 1200 (Reading Central), 01256 584000 (Basingstoke), 01483 370100 (Guildford), 01494 629000 (Beaconsfield), 01344 513000 (Ascot), 01635 785 100 (Newbury), 01962 587900 (Winchester), 0204 599 7400 (Richmond) or email info@kjsmith.co.uk.

We also serve a wide range of other areas including Abingdon, Bracknell, Gerrards Cross, Maidenhead, Marlow, Oxford, Slough, Wokingham, Pangbourne, and High Wycombe.