Ireland

“It is no secret that high-conflict litigation, particularly over a protracted period of time, only serves to increase hostility between a couple,” said Josepha Madigan, a member of the Irish Parliament who is advocating for a decrease in the time it takes to get divorced in the country. Current law requires married couples in Ireland to separate for four years before applying for divorce; the change would cut that time in half and allow for application after only two years.

On September 3, the Resource Center for Separating and Divorcing Families at the University of Denver opened its doors to metro-area families. The Center is a model for providing interdisciplinary, out-of-court solutions to separating and divorcing families. This IAALS “out-of-court model” is part of an international trend towards less adversarial separation and divorce processes.