There are really only two ways to resolve family law matters reliably – one way is relatively easy, relatively quick and relatively cheap but requires some cooperation between parties; the other way is relatively slow, difficult and expensive.
The difference between the easy way (a consent order) and the hard way (a judge-made order) can be many thousands of dollars and long periods of hard work and stress (including being cross-examined in the courtroom).
There are a number of things that can assist in directing your matter toward the easy way rather than the hard way. Those include: