Last week, I took part in a conversation hosted by IAALS that brought together 21 thought leaders—from judges and court administrators to legal tech pioneers and academics—all focused on reimagining the family law process through technology. The goal? To make the system more humane, accessible, and effective, especially for the growing number of self-represented litigants (SRLs).

These were my takeaways: 

1. Mediators and Court staff are having to spend a disproportionate amount of their time doing administrative tasks (such as intake), time that could be performed every bit as well by technology. This use of tech would free mediators, clerks, administrators to put their attention on the more complex matters they were trained to do and that make their jobs far more rewarding.

2. Technology adoption for family cases is challenging because the parties are having to endure among the most stressful moments in their lives which makes what may be simple actions challenging and even fraught. Most technology (including ODR 1.0) has failed to offer solutions that are intuitive, quick and simple (ex: intake forms) and give parties the confidence to move to the next steps in the process.  And let’s not kid ourselves:  Parties are not in a mood to “experiment” when they are going through the separation and divorce processes.

3. Yet, technology remains the best way to cut resolution time in half which reduces stress for parties and staff.

But perhaps the biggest takeaway for me was how technology, combined with human collaboration and design, will be the big winner.  And ODR 2.0 is central to all of this.  

Today, the hard truth is: over 70% of family law cases today involve at least one party without a lawyer. Over 60% are uncontested, yet they’re forced through the same complex steps as high-conflict cases. Meanwhile, families are seeking support—mediation, parenting plans, financial education—not prolonged litigation which increases stress and importantly adversely affects the children involved. Our current system isn’t just inefficient; it’s often harmful.

That’s where ODR 2.0 technology comes in, but not as a solo act.

We shared our promising ODR.com for Family Disputes platform created in partnership with  Portable—a front end user experience for Family matters that has been successfully deployed in Australia for 5 years. It offers tools for asset division, parenting plans, document automation, and integrates directly with court systems all in a mobile friendly intuitive format. Features like white-labeling, mobile-first design, and AI assistance could reshape the experience for families.

But again, the final key takeaway: none of it works without close collaboration with the humans at the heart of the courts. Judges, mediators, staff, and administrators aren’t just stakeholders—they’re essential co-creators. They hold the trust of the people who come through their doors. They understand the trauma these families face. And they’re the ones who will ultimately make or break implementation.

Real innovation in family law doesn’t just mean new tools—it means new partnerships. Trauma-informed design, cultural change, and a flexible, opt-in approach are all part of the equation. Tech can streamline processes, but it takes human insight to truly support the families at the center.

I came away invigorated and even more committed than ever to do whatever we can to make technology that really solves problems for Court staff and the parties. To that end, we’ll need pilots, feedback, and time.  Fortunately, ODR.com (focused on next generation online dispute resolution) is leading the ODR 2.0 charge.  And we will get this right and the results will be transformational.