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Lawyer-led negotiation

With an experienced family lawyer on hand, you can avoid court and reach a positive outcome

Our expertise in lawyer-led negotiation can help you resolve your issues without the stress of a court hearing

Next Steps

Request Free Discovery Call

Please provide your contact information, and we will organise a complimentary, commitment-free discovery call at a time that works best for you.

Lawyer-led negotiation

With an experienced family lawyer on hand, you can avoid court and reach a positive outcome

Our expertise in lawyer-led negotiation can help you resolve your issues without the stress of a court hearing

Next Steps

Request Free Discovery Call

Please provide your contact information, and we will organise a complimentary, commitment-free discovery call at a time that works best for you.

What are lawyer-led negotiations?

Lawyer-led negotiation, also know as solicitor-led negotiation, can be a highly effective way of helping you to resolve important family matters outside of court.

With this method, you can address issues constructively, potentially saving yourself time, money and mental energy in the process. Our advice is that if you’re able to make a decision through lawyer-led negotiation, you’re likely to end up with a better, longer lasting solution than an outcome imposed on you by a court.

How does it work? In short, you appoint a family lawyer focused on your interests who then negotiates with your ex-partner’s lawyer. The outcomes will often depend on what these lawyers expect would be the result of any eventual court process.

A fair and satisfactory result can often be achieved without going to court when resolved using lawyer negotiation, and it can also be used alongside other processes such as mediation. Lawyer-led negotiation is a popular out-of-court route for those who want the reassurance of professional legal advice throughout the negotiation process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s involved in lawyer-led negotiation?

So in short, this is a middle way that involves the legal expertise of lawyers without the stress and cost of court hearings. It’s also worth remembering that this will be confidential and not on public record, as is the case with court hearings. It’s your way of accessing legal advice without exposure to the formal legalities of a courtroom and all that that involves.

Benefits of lawyer-led negotiation

Let’s look at the pros and cons of solicitor-led negotiation in a little more detail. First, the benefits:

  • Reduced conflict - having a lawyer manage communication back and forth between you and your ex-partner can minimise direct confrontation and potentially leading to a more amicable resolution
  • Informed decisions - your lawyer gives you legal advice throughout the process, ensuring you understand the implications of the different proposals
  • Efficient communication - lawyers are skilled negotiators and can effectively present your case and advocate for your interests clearly and succinctly
  • Speedier resolution - negotiations can often be faster than a full court battle, saving you time and emotional strain
  • Potentially lower costs - While lawyer fees apply, negotiations are typically less expensive than lengthy court proceedings

Lawyer-led negotiation is a good option if you and your former partner are willing to talk to each other amicably and explore solutions outside of court. It’s a less confrontational approach to resolving disputes and is particularly suitable when matters are relatively straight forward and reaching an agreement seems achievable through negotiation.

Disadvantages of lawyer-led negotiation

With every approach to resolving family matters, there are costs or drawbacks. With lawyer-led negotiation, you should consider the following:

  • Financial cost - while typically cheaper than employing lawyers at court, lawyer fees for negotiation can still be significant, especially for protracted discussions. If you're on a tight budget, attempting mediation (with a neutral third party) or negotiation without lawyers might be initially cheaper. However, involving lawyers can be crucial in complex cases to protect your interests.
  • Loss of control - you instruct your lawyer on your desired outcome, but they will handle the communication and negotiations. If you’re someone who likes to feel in complete control, especially with important matters, then lawyer-led negotiation can be a challenge. With Belderbos Solicitors, we will make sure you feel comfortable at all times with decisions being made
  • Not suitable for all situations - lawyer-led negotiation may not be effective in high-conflict situations or with complex financial arrangements or disputes over child arrangements. In these cases, the structured environment of a court hearing might be necessary to reach a fair and legally binding resolution

Alternatives to lawyer-led negotiation

Overall, lawyer-led negotiation can be a very constructive and cost-effective way to resolve family law disputes outside of the courtroom. It helps you to maintain control over the process while leveraging your lawyer's expertise to protect your interests and reach an agreement without the hefty costs of a protracted court process.

There are, however, other ways to resolve issues around divorce, separation and child arrangements without needing to go before a judge or magistrate.

Here are some other options to consider:


  • Mediation - this is when a neutral third party facilitates communication and helps you to explore solutions that both you and your ex-partner can agree to. This can be more cost-effective than lawyer-led negotiation and empowers people to find creative solutions after a relationship breakdown
  • Collaborative law - a structured process in which both parties commit to working cooperatively with their lawyers to reach an agreement outside of court. This can be a strong choice if both partners are willing to compromise and prioritise a respectful resolution
  • Family arbitration - here, you and your ex-partner appoint an arbitrator. This person will make a final and binding decision between you on any financial and property disputes or, in some situations, child-related issues arising from family relationships

A resolution in your best interests

If it is the first time you have separated from a partner or entered into divorce proceedings, your first thoughts might first leap to the possibility of court and all the potential costs and stress that could involve. Especially when the situation is tense and people are angry, the legal route seems the only option. This is simply not the case, and very often it is not your best route to an outcome.

Together with around 6,500 other family lawyers and professionals, we are members of an organisation called Resolution. Resolution members are committed to resolving family disputes in a constructive way and we follow a Code of Practice that promotes a non-confrontational approach to family problems. Resolution encourages solutions that consider the needs of the whole family and are particularly focused on the best interests of the children involved.

Today, more than four out of five divorce cases will not end up in court. Indeed, the family law courts actively encourage people to resolve issues in a non-confrontational way. Lawyer-led negotiation is one of a number of methods for reaching an out-of-court agreement in family matters, and we recommend you consider it if you want to:

  • reduce time and cost
  • avoid the stress of going to court
  • help to avoid rifts developing between the parties
  • benefit future communication and relationships

At Belderbos Solicitors, our highly experienced and qualified team are specialists in helping you to avoid court and complete a divorce or separation without the cost, stress and confrontation. Lawyer-led negotiation might just be the best answer for you.

The lawyers to lead your negotiation

On this page, we have spoken about court proceedings, but we encourage you to explore out-of-court solutions for your divorce, separation or child arrangements.

Together with around 6,500 other family lawyers and professionals, we are members of an organisation called Resolution. Resolution members are committed to resolving family disputes in a constructive way and we follow a Code of Practice that promotes a non-confrontational approach to family problems. Resolution encourages solutions that consider the needs of the whole family and are particularly focused on the best interests of the children involved.

Today, more than four out of five divorce cases will not end up in court. Indeed, the family law courts actively encourage people to resolve issues in a non-adversarial way. The many benefits of doing so include


  • reduces time and cost
  • avoids the stress of going to court
  • helps to avoid rifts developing between the parties
  • benefits future communication and relationships
  • have a much higher success rate

    At Belderbos Solicitors, our highly experienced and qualified team are specialists in helping you to avoid court and complete a divorce or separation without the cost, stress and confrontation.
 

The lawyers to lead your negotiation

From our extensive experience in supporting people with family matters, we know that clients reach the best outcomes when they are helped to understand and manage the potential long-term financial and emotional consequences of decisions. This is why we use our experience and knowledge to guide our clients through the options available to them.

As a Resolution member, we have signed up to a Code of Practice that will demonstrate to clients the approach we will always take. The Code promotes a constructive approach to family issues and considers the needs of the whole family, in particular, the best interests of children.

If you decide to work with us, we will:

  • listen to you, being honest with you and treating you with respect
  • explain all the options and giving you the confidence to make the right decisions
  • help you focus on what’s important in the long-term
  • help you balance financial and emotional costs with what you want to achieve
  • work with others to find the right approach and the best solutions for you
  • manage stress in what can be an already stressful situation

Because we’re signed up to the Resolution Code, we work with a network of other like-minded professionals, including mediators, financial planners and family consultants, to make sure I’m helping my clients find the right approach for them.

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