The Power of Family Mediation

It’s Family Mediation Week. Each year, this campaign aims to make families more aware of mediation as an option for resolving their issues.

This isn’t about mending marriages or fixing failing relationships – not directly, anyway. Mediation is a process of helping separated couples undo their ties so they can move on. As mediation is about talking, understanding and collaborating, it can enable people to get past some of the problems that fuelled their relationship breakdown. This is especially important when separated parents need to maintain contact for their children’s benefit in future years.

Mediators help couples talk through the important decisions that need to be made about where their children should live; how the family assets should be divided etc. They’re decisions that people may have firm views on or may dread having to confront. However, they’re things mediation is designed to help resolve and, crucially, resolve between the people who are at the heart of the issues (as opposed to having a court make these decisions). It’s all done in a safe environment and coordinated by an independent mediator skilled in minimising conflict and steering the parties towards a fair and agreed outcome.

You may ask why isn’t every family issue resolved through mediation. Not all situations are suited to this type of collaboration. Where relationships have deteriorated to such an extent that the two people could not entertain the thought of communicating, let alone working together, mediation will be off the table and court may be the route to take. Similarly, where mediation has been attempted but an agreement can’t be reached. Further, where there has been domestic violence in a relationship, the court will likely need to be involved.

However, when mediation could work, our advice is to try it. If you and your former partner are both willing and able to commit to giving mediation a go, you have the chance to avoid the court process's financial and time downsides and find a more amicable way through your issues.

For any family law advice, or to talk to us about mediation, contact us at 01264 353411 or at family@bsandi.co.uk.