Alternative Dispute Resolution
Alternative dispute resolution, also known as arbitration or mediation, is an effort to settle a dispute without the court having to determine all of the terms and conditions of your final court orders. Dispute resolution includes collaborative law and mediated settlement agreements.
Texas family courts typically require the parties to participate in a mediation session prior to a temporary orders hearing and again prior to final trial. Mediation not only assists the courts with efficiently disposing of cases, but legal professionals and the legislature mostly agree that the parties will like a final decree they have worked out and agreed upon between themselves, and which addresses the specific needs of each party, rather than the uncertainty of a court-ordered final decree.