On 30 March 2017, His Honour Judge Donald Cryan, delivered a lecture titled, “Family Arbitration, The First Five Years and Its Future” at City University
In 2012, Judge Cryan was one of the founders the Institute of Family Law Arbitrators (IFLA). He became the Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Institute and helped establish the first schemes for both child and financial arbitration in England and Wales.
At the close of his speech he said: “The evolution of Family Arbitration will continue. As lawyers become more aware of it and appreciate its advantages they will be more prepared to advise its use. As client’s slowly learn of it and ask about it, pressure will grow to use it. As the judiciary see that it will alleviate the burden on the courts and even as government discovers that by supporting arbitration it will shrink its role and provide a swifter, cheaper and more appropriate service to families in conflict, its use will grow. It is early days yet, but the next stage may well be for there to be a Family Arbitration Foundation to promote Family arbitration. The IFLA stakeholders are currently giving thought to that.”