The Court system is currently struggling under the weight of applications being made by parents who cannot reach an agreement as to the arrangement for their children.

Court proceedings can, however, have a detrimental impact, both short and long term, on co-parenting and maintaining an amicable relationship for the benefit of children. As such, the Government and most family law practitioners encourage parties to attend mediation.  This is further emphasised by the requirement for most parties to have received information about the benefits of mediation at a Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM) before applications relating to children are commenced.  There are some exceptions, where mediation is not appropriate, such as domestic abuse, child abuse, risk of harm or emergency applications.

Family mediation is a process in which an independent and professionally trained family mediator works with parents to try and resolve the arrangement for the children and any other matters relating to the children’s wellbeing. It allows parents to maintain control of the decisions around their children instead of placing them in the hands of a judge.  It can also help parents develop methods of communication and plans as to how they will deal with future issues, thus preventing future conflict.

The Government are supporting the importance and benefits of mediation by issuing the Mediation Voucher Scheme.  This provides a contribution of up to £500 towards the mediation costs of eligible cases, in a bid to help matters settle outside of the court arena.  Eligible cases are those where there is a dispute or an application regarding a child.

There has been funding in place for some time now, but the Government has now announced that there will be an additional £5.4 million available (10,200 vouchers) bringing the total investment to £8.7 million.

If you would like to arrange a confidential chat with one of our experienced family law solicitors, or you would like further information on the services we offer, please call  01206 835320, or contact us