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It is particularly important to negotiate a settlement when children are involved. Where there are no children, people can walk away from their relationship and have nothing more to do with each another for the rest of their lives. However, where there are children, parents can expect to be involved with each other — whether they like it or not — for the rest of their lives. Each of them <span class="noglossary">will</span> want to be at their children's high school graduation, attend <span class="noglossary">parent</span>-teacher meetings, and go to school concerts and sports days. The children <span class="noglossary">will</span> want their parents to be there too. As a result, maintaining a functioning relationship is an absolute necessity. Resolving family law problems out of court gives parents the best chance of doing just that.
For more information about parenting after a relationship has ended and how to put the children first in your dispute with the other parent, see the section on [[Parenting after Separation]] in the chapter [[Children and Parenting after Separation]]. For more information about the emotional issues that tend to come with the end of a long-term relationship and how to keep those issues from hopelessly complicating your dispute, see the section [[Separating Emotionally]] in the chapter [[Separation Separating and Getting DivorceDivorced]].
==The legislation on family law problems and out-of-court options==