Next week is Family Mediation Week

The 18th of January will be the first day of 2021’s Family Mediation Week.

This will be the fourth year the Family Mediation Council (FMC) has run their national campaign to raise the public’s awareness of mediation.

Mediation could well be new to you.  It is a process that encourages separating couples to take greater control of their situation and reach the required outcomes together by agreement instead of relying on formal legal proceedings.

During the mediation a specially trained mediator will encourage you to communicate, co-operate and to focus on the future outcomes and solutions.   This helps you to reach the most mutually beneficial decisions regarding your relationship, your children and your finances.

The mediator will set the pace and tone and facilitate discussions so both parties have an opportunity to put forward their positions away from what can often become the intimidating and hostile atmosphere of a court room.

Why should you choose family mediation?

For us, the main reason for choosing family mediation is that is a more positive and future focused way to reach solutions to issues that have arisen during a separation.  This is always going to be a highly emotive time for everyone involved and it is easier to talk to and work through thorny issues in an informal setting with someone who is both independent and impartial.

There are several other advantages to mediation and these include:

• You maintain control over your separation as you will make your decisions, not the court
• Your mediator will give you impartial legal information on the various options presented to help you make the right decision
• If provides you with a better position from which to communicate after you divorce, something that is especially helpful if you plan to co parent in the future.
• Similarly, if children are involved they will be able to see you are dealing with your separation in a reasonable way and setting a good example in your dealings with each other which should give them reassurance at what will be a difficult time for them
• You can schedule your meetings at a convenient time rather than be forced to meet court appointed hearing times. Most mediation meetings are taking place via Zoom or other video platform. You can decide if you want to be in the same room or in different rooms.

While the advantages outlined above are by far the most important, it is also worth noting there is a cost factor to consider too.  As you will be paying for one mediator instead of two lawyers, family mediation will be less expensive than the traditional court route.

If you would like to find out more about family mediation, there is much more information on our website or if you would like to speak to one of our trained and accredited mediators, you can email Bernadette Hoy or Aisling Collins to set up a call so that they can answer any additional questions you may have about Family Mediation.

Photo by Ingrid Hall on Unsplash