Most arguments about financial settlement never go to court, largely because your lawyer will often advise you that starting litigation over finances or child arrangements is almost always a 'lose-lose' situation for both parties. It is almost always possible to agree terms without the need to have fully contested court proceedings. If you have contested proceedings, this can be traumatic and costly. It can also leave a bad feeling which makes it difficult to continue talking to each other about children after everything has concluded. So an out of court divorce is always our recommendation, except perhaps in cases where violence is an issue, or where one party is clearly trying to hide assets that should be shared. In any case, divorce courts require that you have at least attempted to go through a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) prior to issuing formal court proceedings.