Superior Court >Family Court >Services > Early Resolution Conference Early Resolution Conference You may receive an Order from the court telling you and the other party to attend an Early Resolution Management Conference (ERC). You both must come to that conference. The purpose of the ERC is to determine whether the Petitioner and Respondent agree on any parts of the divorce. If there are agreements, the Attorney Case Manager will assist you in completing paperwork that outlines your agreements. This will expedite the divorce process for you.

An ERC is scheduled following the filing a response, a response is a written document filed by the Respondent that gives the Respondent a chance to rely and agree or disagree with the requests made by the Petitioner in the Petition.

Normally, and ERC is scheduled if the parties are representing themselves and there are no attorneys involved in the case.

You should plan on being at a Resolution Management Conference for two - four hours. Any party may request a continuance in writing in advance of the scheduled conference. The Attorney Case Manager will decide if granting the request is appropriate. Of course, emergencies can occur. There is a number on the Order to Appear you can call. Emergencies may include hospitalization, severe illness or a death in the family.

To prepare for the ERC, the Resolution Statement that was attached to the Order to Appear should be completed, forward a copy to the Attorney Case Manager and to the other party prior to your ERC. Also, prior to the ERC, if no Order of Protection is in effect, the parties should meet and talk about possible settlements and be prepared to discuss those options at the ERC.