Knowledge and resources

The deadline for new contract tenders has passed and the votes are being counted! Mediation, like many categories of work, is vastly undersubscribed, and it is very much hoped that there will be an increase in family mediation contracts being confirmed.

 With a 490-strong contingent of Resolution members who are accredited family mediators, many readers of The Review will be interested to learn about the growing success of the annual Family Mediation Week initiative.

An important part of the service we offer clients should be timely consideration of what happens if the current process breaks down

We need to dispel the myth that a MIAM is all about mediation – it is all about giving the separating parties the information they need, and fits perfectly into the finding solutions part of Resolution’s Vision

As lawyers and mediators, we need to think of new ways our skills can be used to tackle problem cases without resort to the court

Mandatory mediation seems to be off the cards for now, but the changes to PD3A may well mark an important shift in the approach to dispute resolution when abuse is an issue

Resolution’s response to the Ministry of Justice.

Though the speed of change is slow, the President of the Family Division has shared some very encouraging thoughts on Relaunching Family Mediation

The term “high conflict” covers a range of very different circumstances and can sometimes obscure the underlying issues

The recent Court of Appeal case of K v K has provided yet more impetus for mediation

The family law landscape is changing. The focus is now more than ever on working together to find a resolution. With the introduction of the HMCTS online platform making it easier for clients to complete their own divorce online and the implementation of no-fault divorce in April 2022, family law could see an increase in families trying to work through difficulties outside of the court arena, through out-of-court dispute resolution methods, and primarily through mediation.

A combination of circumstances and pressures led one family lawyer to shift over entirely to mediation. So how has it worked out?

Mediators clearly have a great deal of influence over the structure and conduct of the negotiation process. So what happens if they get it wrong?

As family lawyers, we are used to referring parties to mediation, but it is rare for us to have insight into what actually goes on at those sessions and the importance of the conversations that take place there. Mary Raymont and Margaret Kelly-Edwards took the participants of this workshop, “The role of the lawyer in the mediation process”, swiftly into the world of role play, only too familiar to those who are qualified as mediators.

Resolution members are committed to keeping issues that arise between couples on a relationship breakdown out of court. One of the ways in which our members achieve this is through hybrid mediation. Hybrid mediation brings together the best of both the family and the civil mediation models.

The remote experience does not need to be a lesser form of mediation – in fact, it can create its own advantages.