Ulpianus

In the last journal entry we concluded that King Solomon’s approach to the dispute between the two women and the child they both claimed to be theirs[1] was more consistent with those of the conventional dispute resolution methods. But how could Wise King Solomon solve the problem different, using an Alternative Dispute Resolution approach?

Some suggestions:
Ask both women to state their needs (present and future), not just the facts (past). In any dispute resolution, the focus should be on the needs of all the involved persons. To better serve them, empathetically listen. Even more, seek for the child welfare. Do not kill him.
Involve the parties in the creation of solutions to their dispute.
Help them develop a parenting plan. If unable to determine who the real mother is, include them both in the solution. Create a parenting plan, where they share the duties and joy of motherhood. They were

This exercise is applying modern time standards, probably an injustice to the greatness of King Solomon. But its only goal is to apply the goodness of ADR to well know stories for illustrative purposes.

Footnote:
[1] I Kings 3: 16-28.