Although an option for dealing with family disputes for a number of years, uptake has been relatively low. There are of course obvious reasons for this such as the perceived high cost of Private FDRs and Arbitration, reluctance to move away from traditional court proceedings and a general lack of detailed understanding of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) options.
Prior to the Covid19 pandemic, the family courts in England and Wales were already under significant pressure and parties were subject to lengthy delays in getting a hearing date. Unfortunately, due to Covid19 pandemic these delays can be expected to increase. Therefore, there is now a further increased importance in parties attempting to resolve their financial and children disputes via ADR, thus saving valuable court time for cases involving vulnerable people or where judicial intervention is necessary.
It was with these points in mind that The Family Online Mediation and Arbitration Service (FOMAS) set its main goal, to promote and encourage the use of Alternative
