In some family law cases, the complexity of the issues — or the pace of the court's docket — makes it difficult to resolve disputes quickly through the traditional court process.

A Special Master is an experienced, neutral professional appointed by the court (often at the request of the parties) to assist in moving a case forward.

Depending on the appointing Order, a Special Master might hear testimony, review evidence, manage discovery disputes, and make recommendations to the court on contested issues.

In family law cases, this can be especially useful for thorny financial questions, custody disputes that require careful factual development, or situations where the parties need a neutral with specialized knowledge and experience to help work through details that a busy judge may not be able to timely address.

And for both family law cases and complex civil litigation, a Special Master can be useful to quickly hear and resolve discovery-related disputes, keeping the case on track without burdening an already crowded court calendar.