It's important to root out the causes of disputes

Luo Zhilong, 47, chief judge at a domestic tribunal at Yong'an District People's Court in Sanming, Fujian province.

Most judges, including myself, hope to conclude domestic cases, such as property allocation, as quickly as we did in the past, but also to eradicate errors. In the past, some disputes were not resolved satisfactorily, which often caused rancor to linger between divorced couples or even prompt further disputes.

Last year, the Supreme People's Court selected 30 courts across the country, including mine, to participate in a pilot program that explored new ways of resolving domestic disputes. For example, we have been asked to impose cooling-off periods for divorcing couples and to invite psychologists to offer assistance to them and their children.