Various Alternatives to the Court Process

When individuals absolutely cannot settle their disputes amongst themselves, the mechanism which our society has established to resolve matters and obtain decisions is the Court process. That being said, going to Court may not necessarily be the best and only option for your specific situation.

There are numerous alternatives to engaging in the Court process. In the articles below, several of these options will be canvassed in greater detail. For each of these alternatives, your Toronto family lawyer will be in the best position to evaluate your specific situation and suggest a method by which to proceed.

These alternatives to Court can be explored and utilized to attempt to resolve the matter prior to the commencement of legal proceedings, or at anytime throughout the Court process. Essentially, just because you are already in Court does not mean that the matter has to be resolved by a Judge making a Final Order. Rather, the matter can be resolved via a variety of dispute resolution alternatives while the Court process unfolds. In fact, there are instances when a final settlement can be arrived at by the parties and/or their respective lawyers through discussions held in Court on the day of a Court appearance.

As beneficial as these alternatives can be, there are specific factual circumstances which would lead your Toronto family lawyer to advise against these options. For example, if there is a history of abuse in a relationship or if one party has always maintained a disproportionate level of control over the various aspects of the relationship, your lawyer may well advise against any direct or face-to-face negotiations between the parties. The pros and cons of the various alternatives to the Court process will be considered in greater detail below.