Save Money on Your Divorce by Participating in a Senior Judge Settlement Conference
Everyone is feeling the effects of the current recession, and going through a divorce can be a strain on your finances that are already feeling the pinch. One potential option for saving costs and attorney fees as you go through your family law dispute is the Senior Judge Settlement Conference.
In the most recent edition of the Nevada Family Law Report, we are treated to a viewpoint analysis of the Senior Judge Settlement Conference. Jason Stoffel, Esq. presents the attorney's viewpoint, while Senior District Judge Terrance P. Marren gives us the judge's view. The consensus between both commentators is that participation in a Senior Judge Settlement Conference saves time, money, and preserves relationships between the parties to a family law dispute - an important consideration since you will, in most cases, need to be able to continue to communicate with your former spouse after your legal dispute has ended.
During these settlement conferences, the attorney and the judge take a back seat in the process of resolving a family law dispute, and the parties to the dispute are in control. As Judge Marren stated,
The clients are in charge in that they must agree to the terms of settlement. The clients are the stars; the lawyers and settlement judge are there as the supporting cast. The rule of confidentiality (nothing may be disclosed from the settlement conference unless settlement is reached) means the settlement judge may discuss the issues of the case with the parties openly and fully. Settlement offers may even be discussed with the settlement judge during the conference or in private session. I have been amazed at how comfortable the clients are in discussing the details of their case in the presence of the settlement judge. They even get to express, either in group session or privately with the settlement judge, those things you don’t want them to say in open court.
With senior judges conducting these settlement conferences, parties to a family law dispute have the benefit of an actual judge talking to them about their positions in a case and whether they are likely to succeed with such positions.
If you are looking for way to reduce the expense of litigation, the Senior Judge Settlement Conference is a great avenue to consider. The Family Division has a "marathon" of these settlement conferences scheduled for January 11, 2010 through February 16, 2010. The conferences occur during a three hour block in the morning or afternoon.
