In Divorce Arbitration, the Arbitrator has decision-making authority, just as a trial Judge would. The Arbitrator will hear the evidence presented by both sides to a dispute and then upon conclusion of the case, he or she will make a decision that will bind the parties. The Arbitrator acts as both Judge and jury and decides who resolves the matters at issue. Arbitration gives divorcing spouses the formality of a decision-maker while avoiding the uncertainty and expense of the court system.

The divorce Arbitrator is usually a mutually agreed upon lawyer, Judge or former Judge with experience and training in Family Law. You can go through divorce Arbitration in Minnesota with or without a lawyer's representation. Many divorcing couples in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan area take advantage of Arbitration when negotiation breaks down on a particular issue. For example, if you and your spouse have managed to agree on everything but spousal support, you can hire a divorce Arbitrator to address that issue only.

Divorce Arbitration has many advantages over utilizing the court system:

• Expedience - you usually obtain a quicker resolution because you do not have to rely on the schedule of a very busy court system
• Flexibility - you pick the time and place for the Arbitration
• Privacy - your divorce proceeding documents are not part of the public record
• Control - you choose the Arbitrator

Arbitration as a form of ADR is different from Mediation, which is a non-binding and confidential process that encourages parties to come to a mutual agreement; and it is different from "Med-Arb," which is a combination of Mediation and Arbitration. It differs from a Rent-a-Judge situation, in that in Arbitration, the decision-maker isn't always a Judge. When you choose Mary Davidson as your Arbitrator, there is no distinction; you hire a retired family court Judge. You deserve her experience.

Please feel free to Contact Mary to discuss divorce Arbitration or to set up a meeting.