England: Specialist court pilot for financial disputes in divorce to be expanded

A specialist court pilot for handling financial disputes in divorces will be expanded across England and Wales after its initial success, The Brief reports.

Sir James Mundy, the outgoing senior family judge in England and Wales, announced that the pilot would be tested in nine more regions after promising results in the first three regions.

Under the pilot scheme, couples can pay for a lawyer or retired judge to hold a financial dispute resolution (FDR) hearing, in which they examine the couple’s finances and indicate what they think a judge would award in a full hearing.

Sir James said “anecdotal evidence” had suggested couples were more likely to settle after an FDR hearing instead of going to court.

He added: “Of course each settlement frees up court resources to deal, sooner and more fully, with those interim and final hearings that demand a judicial determination.”