Family Mediation Week: How Mediation can help families move forward

AuthorTina Day

The start of a new year can unfortunately see an increase in couples separating, divorcing or choosing to live apart. This is often an emotionally challenging time and will bring with it many questions and difficult decisions about the future such as:

What happens to our finances?
Who will live where?
How will our assets be divided?
Where will our child(ren) live?
What happens to shared debts and loans?

Family Mediation Week aims to raise awareness of how Mediation can help you through issues you may face when going through a separation, without having to resort to costly and time-consuming Court proceedings. Tina Day, Senior Associate in our Family Law department, explains more here about Family Mediation Week and how this form of Non-Court Dispute Resolution can support you in moving forward with your life.

What is Family Mediation?

Family Mediation is designed to help understand the challenges faced when going through a separation or divorce. The process involves working with an individual and neutral Family Mediator to promote discussion and allow you to make informed decisions together in an amicable way, reducing conflict and creating clear objectives and plans for moving forward in the future.

There are several different forms of Family Mediation to support your specific circumstances, including:

Family Mediation - Focusing on resolving issues such as finances, property and arrangements for your child(ren).
Hybrid Mediation - Used for more complex cases where other professionals may also be part of the discussions, such as accountants, independent financial advisors, psychiatrists, and independent social workers.
Child Inclusive Mediation - Allows your child(ren) a voice throughout the process, to ensure their opinion is taken into account.

It is important to note that the Mediator is not there to make any decisions for you, but to guide you through the process to help you reach a fair agreement to meet the needs of everyone involved.

What are the advantages of Family Mediation?

One of the key benefits of Family Mediation is that the Mediator is there to remain neutral, ensuring that both parties are heard. Having an independent, trained person facilitate discussions means that neither party can dominate the conversation and both sides are given the opportunity to express their concerns, issues and preferences in a safe space. Mediation provides a calm and supportive environment, making the process significantly less stressful by encouraging both parties to work together towards solutions.

It is now a requirement that you attempt Family Mediation through a MIAM (Mediation Information Assessment Meeting) before going to Court and, if Mediation is successful, it can save you significant costs by avoiding lengthy and expensive legal proceedings. The Mediation process is also much quicker, with sessions scheduled at your convenience and without the delays often experienced in Court.

Importantly, Family Mediation is child-focused, ensuring that the needs and welfare of your child(ren) remain the top priority. This approach allows your child(ren) to have a voice, sharing their wishes and feelings while creating arrangements that promote their stability and happiness during the separation.

Family Mediation Voucher Scheme

As a firm, we are proud to be registered and able to offer the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme to those eligible. The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme is a time-limited scheme that was recently launched by The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to help support and help the Family Courts recover from Covid-19. In cases that are eligible, the scheme provides a contribution of up to £500 towards the costs of Mediation, in a push for more family law disputes to be resolved outside of Court. The scheme hopes to encourage more people to try Mediation to resolve their family disputes outside of Court.

Contact our Family Mediators

If you are currently going through a divorce or separation and want to explore your options through Mediation, we are here to help. Tina Day, our experienced Mediator in our Family Law department, is ready to guide you through the process.

We offer a free initial consultation to discuss you individual situation and how we can help. To book an appointment to speak to Tina or one of our Family Lawyers, contact us by using the Contact Form, emailing info@parkerbullen.com or call your local office from the numbers below: