A first-of-its-kind network for family law practitioners and professionals who assist parties before, during and after divorce has formally launched in England, Scotland and Wales with the ambition to help families ’navigate divorce (in) a civilised, transparent, out-of-court and cost effective alternative to adversarial divorce litigation.’
Amicable Divorce Network (ADN) was founded by US attorney Tracy Ann Moore-Grant, borne out of her own experience and frustrations with the adversarial nature of divorce and the unnecessary cost and conflict to divorcing parties. Through a tried and trusted Amicable Divorce Process combined with the cloud-based technology platform, lawyers, mental health practitioners, mediators, divorce coaches, financial processionals and the wider gamut of professionals often associated with divorce (pensions experts, estate agents etc) can connect and collaborate with clients to help them efficiently resolve their family law matters.
Moore-Grant is herself an experienced family lawyer based in Georgia and a founding member of the Patterson Moore Butler law firm. She has been a practicing attorney, arbitrator and mediator since 2002. Through her work she has been recognised as a Top 10 Female Family Law Attorney in Georgia since 2015 and received a Georgia Legal Award in 2020 and then a Southeastern Legal Award in 2023, both for the positive impact the Amicable Divorce Network has had on the family law system in the United States.
Explaining the process, Moore-Grant says:
(t)he Amicable Divorce Process is one that the professionals involved can design for what the parties need and can afford. It is meant to be efficient, child-centered and guided by professionals who have been vetted for a resolution focus. The process uses early dispute resolution and alternate dispute resolutions to resolve differences and bring the case to a conclusion.
ADN says it is the only global network which proactively assesses and vets applicants for their suitability to become members and asks their professional peers for their endorsement. The process includes reviewing those with a minimum of five years of experience, evidence resolution-focused practice, and a commitment to fair billing processes. The organisation says it feels vetting is the key to a successful group and process, highlighting that the professionals, and not the clients, are the key to the “Amicable” part of Amicable Divorce Network. Members who violate the ideals of the organisation can also be removed to protect process integrity.
Amicable Divorce Network launched in the US in 2019 and has grown to hundreds of members throughout the United States, Canada the United Kingdom and recently into Spain. Membership is not restricted to lawyers, and includes any professional who assists parties before, during and after divorce. ADN soft launched in the UK in 2023 and had already recruited approximately 30 vetted professionals by the time it held an in-person ‘Divorce Out of Court Bootcamp’ in April of 2024.
“It was clear there was a huge crossover and opportunity here in the United Kingdom. There is significant progress here on trying to find alternatives to court, aided by the landmark Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act (2020). But more must be done to protect our clients. We must try to stop the endless costs associated with adversarial divorce which simply serve to reduce the overall share between separating couples; and reduce the pressure on courts, which it is well documented are hugely oversubscribed.”
adds Moore-Grant. Celia Conrad, a relationship strategist and member of ADN explains why she believes in what ADN is trying to achieve;
“The introduction of the (Family Procedure (Amendment No 2) Rules 2023) on 29 April this year means that parties have to show to the Court that they have not only considered NCDR (Non Court Dispute Resolution) but attempted to resolve issues outside of the court process. With its emphasis on resolving matters amicably and emphasis on mediation, ADN and its professional divorce professionals – who are committed to and actively promote NCDR – are well-placed to assist parties thereby saving them emotional stress, time and legal fees.”
ADN has also launched a Dispute Resolution Exchange Program. Meeting monthly, the goal of the Program is for mediators worldwide to learn from one another, share resources and shadow other mediators to enhance their mediation skills to resolve more family law matters. says Moore-Grant;
“Mediation practices and what topics are mediated and how varies greatly even among states in the United States not just between countries. Watching other mediators and having a forum to discuss skill building and seek advice will elevate mediators worldwide and help everyone involved with resolving cases out of court.”
A fact-finding meeting is being hosted on 26th June at 5pm for practitioners who may be interested in finding out more about ADN. You can register using the link below. https://members.amicabledivorcenetwork.com/ap/Events/Register/8EFaawdSOCRC7
