When to Hire a Private Judge for Your Divorce Case

Here is what you need to know about making sure that your divorce proceedings go quickly so that you can move on with your life with as much of your time, money, and sanity intact as humanly possible.

A Misconception of Hiring a Private Judge

There is this misconception when hiring a private judge but that isn’t the case. In all actuality, it is the attorney on either side that can make this arrangement. That said, both you and your spouse will split the costs in order to get a ruling on the case.

It is important to remember that one party may not be happy with the judgment passed down. So, even though you may be paying for hiring a private judge, there is a chance that the ruling will not work out for you.

What is private judging? And what does a Private Judge do?

Another question to ask before making a potentially expensive decision is to ask yourself what a private judge does. Because each area has its own rules, private judges will generally only hear domestic relationship cases, civil cases, and breach of contract cases.

What wouldn’t a private judge do? Well, they wouldn’t hear any kind of case that would require the use of a jury. So, if it is a criminal case, they more than likely are not going to be involved. They only handle an array of civil cases.

Keeping It Private

Perhaps the biggest benefit of hiring a private judge is that it is done privately. Both parties may want to exchange information between each other as well as the judge but don’t want to make all of that information private.

When divorces become public record, it can mean that information gets into the hands of those whom the couple does not want it to be seen by. But with a private judge, that all stays off the public radar.

Even small-time divorce cases can have public consequences. Going with a private judge can mean keeping all of that in-house so things can be resolved in short order.

Costs are Manageable

If there is another aspect of litigation that has become all too well-known, it is that it is extremely expensive. The longer and more drawn-out the process becomes, the more expensive it is for both parties.

Which is why having a private judge in a divorce to settle the matter can really make sense. The cost can depend on the judge and the complexity of the case, but it is generally a lot cheaper than going through traditional litigation.