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Overview

Family Mediation is a process in which an impartial third person, the mediator, assists those involved in family breakdown to make arrangements to plan for or following a separation or divorce. The process is managed by the mediator but the content is decided by the couple.

By this method, it is hoped that couples will be able to explore the issues and concerns they have and to reach their own joint decisions. Mediation also offers couples an opportunity to explore their continuing communication together for the future.

Issues generally centre on arrangements for divorce or separation, children, finance and property.

Mediation can, therefore, assist couples at the point of breakdown of their relationship to consider their options and make arrangements they can live with for their separate lives - particularly if children are involved. It can aid parents make, and when necessary or appropriate, review arrangements for their children, reflecting the changing needs of children and of parents going through the process of divorce and into new systems of living.

Comprehensive or ‘all issues’ mediation aids couples to look at all issues arising on separation and divorce including arrangements for children and financial  and property decisions.

However, mediation is not a universal panacea, or directly an aid to reconciliation. Mediators do not offer counselling or legal advice. Participants are advised to ‘check out’ all proposals with their personal lawyers and most mediators/mediation services will provide some form of summary of outcome/memoranda of understanding to personal lawyers - with the agreement of the couple concerned.

  • Principles of Mediation
  • Mediation is a voluntary process
  • Mediators are impartial
  • Decision-making authority rests with the participants
  • Confidentiality (with the exception of harm to another person - most particularly  children - so all professional mediators work within accepted codes of practice for child protection

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