his or her courtroom and court CONCLUSION reporter available to read the Financial Early Neutral Evaluation has agreements on the record. Often, the proven to be an effective method both in terms of – assigned judicial officer will preside time and money spent of dispute resolution. – over such a session to ensure FENE is not the answer for each and every case. In procedural safeguards are in place. fact, cases should be carefully screened for Perhaps the least effective, but willingness of the parties to problem solve and sometimes necessary, technique is to compromise. For the cases where FENE is the simply allow the counsel to draft an agreed-upon method of dispute resolution, its agreement to be submitted to the combination of early intervention, coordination of Court. This can result in settler’s discovery, opportunity for the parties to be heard, remorse or protracted disagreements delivery of an opinion, and avenue for facilitated about language, but not all parties settlement discussions makes it a valuable tool in are prepared to settle on the spot. A reaching the goals of Minnesota’s courts of good technique, in these cases, is to reducing the time and acrimony involved in gain permission to send a letter to the resolving divorces. Court reporting that settlement was reached and that an agreement should be received by a date certain. In case, some report must be submitted to the Court at the end of seventy-five days, if you are following the Hennepin County model. The letter could simply state that no agreements were reached and the matter should be back on the Court’s calendar, agreements were reached and they are submitted to the Court in an agreed upon manner, or that progress is being made and an Order Extending Time is requested. Unless you have the authority of counsel and the parties to communicate substantive issues to the Court, your report to the Court should be procedural in nature only. This is necessary to preserve the confidentiality of the process.
his or her courtroom and court reporter available to read the agreements on the record. Often, the assigned judicial officer will preside over such a session to ensure procedural safeguards are in place. Perhaps the least effective, but sometimes necessary, technique is to simply allow the counsel to draft an agreement to be submitted to the Court. This can result in settler’s remorse or protracted disagreements about language, but not all parties are prepared to settle on the spot. A good technique, in these cases, is to gain permission to send a letter to the Court reporting that settlement was reached and that an agreement should be received by a date certain. In case, some report must be submitted to the Court at the end of seventy-five days, if you are following the Hennepin County model. The letter could simply state that no agreements were reached and the matter should be back on the Court’s calendar, agreements were reached and they are submitted to the Court in an agreed upon manner, or that progress is being made and an Order Extending Time is requested. Unless you have the authority of counsel and the parties to communicate substantive issues to the Court, your report to the Court should be procedural in nature only. This is necessary to preserve the confidentiality of the process. CONCLUSION Financial Early Neutral Evaluation has proven to be an effective method – both in terms of time and money spent – of dispute resolution. FENE is not the answer for each and every case. In fact, cases should be carefully screened for willingness of the parties to problem solve and compromise. For the cases where FENE is the agreed-upon method of dispute resolution, its combination of early intervention, coordination of discovery, opportunity for the parties to be heard, delivery of an opinion, and avenue for facilitated settlement discussions makes it a valuable tool in reaching the goals of Minnesota’s courts of reducing the time and acrimony involved in resolving divorces.