What is Neutral Case Evaluation
Neutral Case Evaluation is a process where the parties in either a divorce or parenting case discuss their case before a Case Evaluator who is either a Judge, Marital Master, Referee, or Retired Judge or Marital Master.
Neutral Case Evaluation identifies areas of disagreement and the Case Evaluator offers an Opinion. Though not a binding decision, this process can result in the parties coming to a settlement. Often one side realizes that they will lose on a particular issue and agree to settle the case rather than lose at trial. The parties can also come to a partial agreement on some of the outstanding issues and leave the rest for trial.
What are the Benefits of Neutral Case Evaluation
The benefits of Neutral Case Evaluation include cost and time containment. Depending upon the outstanding issues of the case, trial preparation and trial costs can cost thousands of dollars. Knowing ahead of time what the likely outcome is can save clients valuable resources by avoiding an expensive and lengthy trial.
An additional benefit is saving time. The court docket is usually full which means that parties will have to wait six to twelve months for a trial date. Neutral Case Evaluation docket allows the parties to get before a Judge and glean an understanding of a likely outcome and avoid the need to wait for a trial date. If you need assistance, please call us at (603) 288-1403 or fill out our online contact form.