Today we launch Family Mediation Week!
It’s a great chance for separating parents to avoid courtroom conflicts.
Parents who have decided to separate or divorce in 2023 are being urged to find out how to settle money, parenting arrangements and more.
Pressures of Christmas
January usually sees a dramatic rise in the number of parents deciding to live apart.
This is often due to various pressures that go hand-in-hand with the Christmas period, acting as a final straw for relationships.
Benefits
Family Mediation Week is designed to raise awareness of the benefits of family mediation.
This process can help ex-partners agree what works for them, whilst avoiding the court process with all the stress, delay and cost it can bring.
Many parents emerge from the festive period feeling defeated by the pressures on relationships and finances that have been highlighted over the holiday period.
We find parents in this position simply don’t know which way to turn.
Common questions
Their life-changing decision to split up brings with it so many tough questions:
* Who lives where?
* Where will the children live, and how will we make sure we each spend time with them?
* How will we sort money?
* What about debts and pensions?
* And even the family dog?
Tricky issues
Family Mediation Week shines a helpful spotlight on these tricky issues, offering separating parents
information about their options as they look to make arrangements for parenting, property and finance.
Why mediation helps
Family mediation is a process where an independent, professionally-trained mediator helps you work these things out, enabling you to avoid courtroom confrontation.
Professional mediators help empower you to
create long-term solutions for your circumstances, rather than leaving it to a court to make decisions for your family.
Mediation services may also be taking part in the Ministry of Justice’s Family Mediation Voucher Scheme.
This meets up to £500 of mediation costs for families if they need to discuss arrangements for children.
Legal Aid remains available for family mediation.
Need to know more?
Anyone wanting to know more about the benefits of family mediation can visit our website or call us on 01772 799 600 for more information.
1. Family Mediation Week takes place from 16 – 20 January 2023, organised by the Family Mediation Council
(FMC), a not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to promote the use of family mediation for the benefit of the
public. The FMC does not offer mediation itself.
2. Marsden Rawsthorn Solicitors engage mediators on the FMC Register, which means they meet agreed
professional standards.
The FMC Register can be searched online, enabling people to find mediators near to
them, who are working online, and – if relevant – who offer legal aid.
The search facility can be found here:
https://www.familymediationcouncil.org.uk/find-local-mediator/
Article by Lyndsey Kiley, Family Law Team.
