In March of 2011, Bob Roby received certificates of completion for both Social and Financial “ENE”, or early neutral evaluation training. This training prepares neutral facilitators to function as evaluators – in regard to the best interests of minor children, as well as the sometimes complex financial issues in a marital estate. This training, added to his twenty five years of family law experience and other training in mediation and civil arbitration, have contributed to his effectiveness in settling over 100 cases per year as a neutral.

The advantage of using Early Neutral Evaluation is that it is used within weeks of a case being filed, and it gives the parties a foretaste of what they will likely get in a contested proceeding. Not having a realistic view of this aspect of the court process is probably the leading reason that cases don’t settle.