Divorce American-Style Works Better, Says UK Judge
A fledgling idea in the United Kingdom five years ago, American-style collaborative divorce works better than the traditional, often acrimonious, court battle, a senior United Kingdom family judge says.
Speaking at a legal conference, Mr Justice Coleridge of the High Court said there are now some 1,250 lawyers in the U.K. who promote the nonlitigious approach to the end of a marriage, compared to only a handful in 2003, reports the London Times.
“Under the new process, the spouses and their lawyers meet to agree settlements at a fraction of the cost of a full-blown courtroom battle,” the newspaper explains. “If the negotations fail, the couples have to start all over again with new lawyers.”
Earlier coverage:
ABA Journal: “Putting a Kinder Face on Litigation”
ABAJournal.com: “Kinder, Gentler Collaborative Divorce Also Costs Less”
