Family arbitration is a fairly new kind of dispute resolution suitable for divorce cases and is an alternative to court proceedings. It involves providing a neutral person (called a “family arbitrator”) with the relevant facts, evidence and the views of you and your spouse as to what you each think the outcome should be. The arbitrator, who is a specially trained lawyer, will then make a decision as to what they think the result should be. Like a judge’s decision in court, the arbitrator’s final decision (called an “award”) is binding. Asking an arbitrator to make a decision can be quicker than waiting for a court hearing to be allocated.