Sunday, April 02, 2006

Robolawyering: "A new program uses game theory to produce fairer outcomes when dividing the property of divorcing couples."
The software was tested last year on 50 divorcing couples, with the outcomes evaluated by Victoria Legal Aid. Each party is given a limited number of points, which they are asked to allocate to the items of property they wish to keep. Through a multi-step process of modification, the parties are encouraged to give priority to the items they most value. The researchers found that, using the software, each party ended up with 70-80% of what they originally wanted, rather than the usual 50-50 split.