Englewood, NJ Divorce Attorney
The Purpose of a Judicial Settlement Conference in Divorce Proceedings
Settling a divorce matter outside of court is often beneficial to the parties involved and the court itself. A case is expensive for everyone involved. Not only does the couple spend a lot of money to litigate, the state’s time is precious as well. Furthermore, a court battle has an emotional impact on the family that most would like to avoid. This being said, at some point during the divorce process, the parties will participate in some type of settlement conference, which might take the form of:
- An informal meeting between the parties and each person’s attorney
- Mediation
- A judicial settlement conference (which is a more formal conference that involves a judge).
The following is a brief discussion of the judicial settlement conference and its purpose in divorce proceedings. If you are facing a divorce and need quality legal support from an experienced attorney, contact The Radol Law Firm for a consultation to discuss your legal matter.
Judicial Settlement Conference
Judicial settlement conferences will differ vastly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In some instances, the judge trying your divorce case will be the same judge who will handle the settlement conference. Alternatively, some of the larger metropolitan court systems will assign one judge to the settlement conference, and another judge will be assigned to handle the trial.
Also, there are times when the actual parties are involved in the settlement conference with the judge; however, there are other times when your Englewood family lawyer will appear before the judge on your behalf in order to encourage open conversation with the opposing attorney and avoid the excess bravado that typically occurs when the parties are there.
The point of a judicial settlement conference (or any settlement conference) is to avoid the high cost of a trial, which not only includes the actual cost in terms of a dollar amount, but also the cost in your time as well as the emotional toll it will take on the parties, which can’t be measured in terms of dollars and cents. Any Englewood family lawyer can tell you that courtrooms are often viewed to be a threatening and fear-provoking place for most non-lawyers.
Add to that the fact that, in a trial, there will only be one individual (the judge) who will make determinations that will affect your entire family for years to come. Judicial settlement conferences, however, can give you some sense of control over the outcome of your divorce and they can help you be able to move forward in life knowing that you (not a stranger) decided how your life would proceed in a post-divorce world.
Contact An Englewood Family Lawyer
Divorce is a complicated matter that deserves the attention of an effective attorney. The Radol Law Firm has over 30 years of experience helping clients through the toughest of times. If you need the assistance of an Englewood family lawyer for an upcoming judicial settlement conference, please contact The Radol Law Firm to schedule an initial consultation.