One Step Further in the Resolution of Family Conflicts in Spain: A Commitment to Multi-Door Courthouses

Abstract

The Organic Law 1/2025, of January 2, on measures for the efficiency of the Public Justice Service, has introduced significant changes to the Spanish judicial system, such as the creation of instance courts with a specialized section for family, childhood, and capacity, the mandatory use of Appropriate Dispute Resolution Methods (MASC in Spanish context), and the establishment of judicial offices, as well as municipal justice offices, that offer citizens a wide range of services in a close and accessible manner. However, given the special characteristics of family disputes, it is necessary to go further and adopt the model of multi-door courts, where specially trained officers receive, assess, and direct families to the most appropriate process or “door” for managing their conflicts. In this paper, we examine the origins, functioning, previous experiences, and advantages that this model can offer in providing comprehensive justice for families, as well as the possibility of incorporating arbitration among its options, identifying arbitrable matters and the limitations in the resolution of family conflicts.