Family Mediation Week 2024
The 22nd – 26th January is Family Mediation Week, supported by the Family Mediation Council.
Family Mediation Week aims to raise awareness of mediation and how it can help separating families manage their issues collaboratively and productively.
What is mediation?
The essential objective of Family Mediation is to enable separating couples to make agreements about their family without the conflict that can be associated with court proceedings. It is also quicker and more costs effective. Although it not compulsory, you will, with a few exceptions, have to prove to the court that you have at least attended an introductory Mediation Information and Assessment meeting before deciding not to proceed with mediation.
Mediation thus requires some wiliness to reach an agreement on both sides, but it can still be used even when the issues are very difficult or communication between the parties has broken down. Mediators have an initial discussion with participants to ensure that it is suitable and safe. Their training and their skill is to help even when there are major disagreements.
A mediator is a neutral person who can talk over the options, help to think practically, and try to find ways forward. They do not take sides, or impose decisions, and therefore is often a very valuable option for separating couples. Mediation is often much more productive that trying to argue directly, when things can quickly become fraught, and unhappiness get in the way of practical solutions.
Legal advice can be a useful part of the mediation process, and parties to mediation can get help from a solicitor to go over the information they get from mediation and to understand the legal issues they might want to discuss in mediation sessions. Solicitors can also help with implementing any understanding reached in mediation.
Ideally, mediation enables parties to find a much wider ranging agreement than a court could impose, and tailored to their needs and those of their children. If successful it can be far less expensive than court, and help to preserve at least a constructive relationship between the separating couple for the future – especially worthwhile where there are children involved. It may not be suitable for everyone, but where it can be used it has very many advantages.
Family Mediation Council
You can find out more from the Family Mediation Council https://www.familymediationcouncil.org.uk/
Resolution
You can also learn more about mediation from Resolution, an association of specialist family solicitors with a code of practice that commits to a constructive approach to family law cases: https://resolution.org.uk/. Butcher & Barlow subscribe to this code of practice, and many of our lawyers are members.
Mediation is a possible way forward that we consider with clients when they contact us about a family problem. If you would like to know more about the options to find settlement in family disputes, please do contact us or visit our mediation page.
Our Family Law team remain available for advice and guidance on any existing or new matter. Please do not hesitate to get in touch via enquiries@butcher-barlow.co.uk or directly with your nearest office to arrange your free initial 30 minute meeting.
