Today we are going to be addressing a conversation that I had with one of my clients in regards to what a settlement conference is, and if it’s necessary to attend one in their case.

This client is going through a divorce/custody issue, and her concern was they were not able to agree on a parenting plan, the settlement of the debts, and the assets in their case.

Therefore, now we are at the juncture in their case where we either must go to a trial, or we must request a settlement conference.

She asked the following questions:

Should I attend a settlement conference? Why not go directly to trial? What is the purpose of a settlement conference?  Is it beneficial for me and my case?

What I explained to her is that in my firm, we believe in attempting settlements before going to litigation and or trials. 90% of the cases that we handle do not need a trial. I believe that trials are very costly, and not necessary for most cases.

SETTLEMENT CONFERENCES are a structured way for the parties to come together with a senior judge or a judge, not the one assigned to your case, and the attorneys.  Everyone gets together, presents their proposals for settlement and negotiations go back and forth. It allows the parties to settle their matters, to come to an agreement between themselves without any judicial intervention.

BENEFITS:

• They’re less expensive than a trial
• Require less work
• Are less traumatic
• Have less emotional stress on the parties

NOW REMEMBER, in a settlement conference you are not obligated to agree. However, it is a good idea to go to a settlement conference in good faith, attempt to settle your issues at that juncture, and avoid having to go to a costly trial.

So I hope that this has answered these questions. If you want to discuss this topic further with me, please go to vegasdivorcemeeting.com, I’ll be more than happy to sit down with you so we can discuss this further.