Arbitration

Becket Chambers is now able to offer a full family law arbitration service. Our arbitrators are qualified under the Institute for Family Law Arbitrators Scheme in relation to both Family Finance and the new Children scheme.

Family arbitration is a highly flexible and effective method for dealing with family disputes, whether this is for the whole case or just one part of it. It is entirely confidential, saves time (there is no need to wait for a court date) and can be “tailor made” to suit the parties’ needs.  Decisions (Awards) can be made by an Arbitrator on narrow issues and do not necessarily have to involve full hearings and in some instances can be dealt with on paper.    The Award is binding on the parties (with very limited means of challenging an arbitration in court) and so offers a sense of certainty, unlike other forms of alternative dispute resolution.

Arbitration can be used at any point in family litigation, whether that is before proceedings have begun or after. It is a very effective way to resolve issues when negotiations have stalled and particularly useful where substantial progress has been made in agreeing matters but a narrow issue cannot be resolved.   Alternatively the whole litigation process can be replaced with arbitration.

Arbitration allows the parties to maintain privacy and to have control over the process by choosing their tribunal, the timetable, the venue and the issues.

Any suitable venue can be agreed   and we have facilities to hold hearings at our Chambers in Canterbury and can arrange facilities in numerous alternative locations.

Our arbitrators, Christopher Wall (Finance) and Philip Newton (Children) are able to arbitrate in the vast majority of financial remedy and private law children disputes, including:

Finance

• Financial relief in divorce and dissolution cases and breakdown of civil partnerships.
• Claims for financial provision for children covering both capital and income (Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989)

Children

• Disputes over which parent the children should live with.
• Contact disputes.
• All parenting disputes over such issues as medical treatment, schooling, change of surname