Yahoo reported that Mandy Moore filed for divorce from Ryan Adams back in January. The former couple were married for five years and the announcement of their separation and subsequent filing for divorce occurred just a few months after Moore sang the backup vocals to Adam's album. It was also reported by Us Magazine that the parties never entered into a marriage contract. As such, the parties may decide to negotiate a mutually agreeable Separation Agreement which addresses all of the legal issues arising out of the breakdown of their marriage.

If the parties are able to co-operate with one another when negotiating their Separation Agreement, they will be able to avoid resolving their matrimonial matter through litigation. In Ontario, save and except the issue of divorce, all issues may be resolved outside the judicial system. In fact, parties can reach a resolution of their matter in a number of ways that do not see the parties end up before a Judge. These methods include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Negotiation
• Collaborative Law
• Mediation
• Arbitration

The advantages of the above-mentioned alternatives to litigation can be significant, yet often determine on the ability and willingness of the parties to co-operate and compromise with one another. These alternatives to litigation often offer parties a more cost-effective and time efficient means of resolving their matter. Further, it is the parties themselves who craft the final resolution, as opposed to a neutral third party who is largely unfamiliar with the parties' and their situation. In Ontario, the resolution of a matter through the above-mentioned alternatives to litigation remains private, while court proceedings remain open to the general public.

Given that both Ryan Adams and Mandy Moore have remained out of the spotlight with respect to their relationship, the parties are most likely to proceed by way of one of the above-mentioned alternatives in order to resolve their matrimonial matter.