Arbitration Stencil As a Pathfinder for Resolving Family Disputes

Abstract

Arbitration is rarely used for settlement disputes outside of commercial disputes in many countries including Nigeria. Litigation has been the most commonly used mechanism for settlement of family disputes but it has overtime become very time consuming and has led to the need for a better mechanism for family disputes settlement. Many have turned to mediation and negotiation but due to the lack of final and binding decisions they have not been so effective; hence the need for the use of arbitration. The article highlights the relevance of applying arbitration to family disputes. The article reveals that arbitration is rarely applied to family disputes in Nigeria even though it is fast becoming applicable to settlement of family disputes globally, particularly the separation of couples when child custody determination's are made in developed countries. Arbitration have not been applied in those countries just to separation of couples. Finally, this article recommends arbitration as a template for family disputes and enactment of a family arbitration Act in Nigeria. It concludes that awareness should be made for arbitration to be a family disputes settlement template.