The key to resolving conflict is the suspension of one’s own point of view as the only point of view.

David Bohm

If a dispute does arise, when should you choose Family Dispute Resolution or another form of out-of-court decision-making?

It's almost always worth it to try out-of-court methods first, to see if you can reach an agreement.

FDR as a method is generally found to be successful 60-80% of the time, in all types of disputes, not just family disputes.

It's worth starting there and if you use mediation and don't reach an agreement, the standard everywhere is that you still have the right to go in front of the judge and present the issue and have a judge make the decision.

Intermediate steps between FDR and going to court are mediator facilitated negotiation and lawyer negotiation so think about giving them a try before rushing off to court again.