News and views

 23rd January 2012

Ministry of Justice Press Release:

Justice Secretary Ken Clarke has today urged separating couples to consider mediation when they separate or divorce, instead of turning to the courts.

Mr Clarke said:

"In the vast majority of cases mediation is a much more sensible way for couples to conduct their separation - it is quicker, cheaper, less confrontational and it encourages people to resolve their issues rather than turning to judges and lawyers."

3rd November 2011 Final Report of the Family Justice Review published

David Norgrove, chair of the Family Justice Review, said:

"Our package of recommendations to the Government and the judiciary will make the current family justice system more effective.... We also propose better ways for parents to be helped to keep the focus on their children as they separate, with information, education and mediation, and court action only if all that fails.".. ."."...

20th August 2011 in The Independent 'Your Money'

Article: From 'For Richer, for poorer...now economy adds to the pain of divorce'

"The clean break has become a bit more of a myth, particularly where there are children" says Mairead McKeever, St Albans based family mediator at Harmony Mediation "Where there are children it's almost completely impossible to have a clean break unless there are very substantial assets".

Article in The Times (Monday 7th February 2011)

‘(Mediation) can be a cheaper and quicker way to wrangle over assets and child-access issues. Lawyers need to be brought in only to rubber-stamp the mutual agreement. Figures from the National Audit Office indicate it can cost 25% of the price of lawyers’ fees (as little as £1,000) and take 25% of the time (as quick as 110 days) of going to court’.

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January 2011 - Statement on the Ministry of Justice website.

Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly said:

“Mediation can be quicker, cheaper and provide better outcomes than going to court. We are now actively looking at ways we can make sure everyone who wants to issue family proceedings is aware of mediation and has the opportunity to find out about it and consider it as a way to resolve their disputes.” 

 

 

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