Mediation in a Family Court Setting: Does it Work?

Abstract

Family mediation is described as “helping to find a solution that meets the needs of you, your partner and any children, and that you all feel is fair”. There is a growing consensus that, in comparison with court hearings, family mediation improves outcomes for parents and children, in cases of child contact and residence dispute. However, in practice, government data show that only 20% of couples accessing legal aid for family breakdown cases in the United Kingdom use family mediation. In Northern Ireland in particular, mediation services are limited and there exists a variety of different approaches. An evaluation of a Family Centre's mediation service in one Health and Social Service Trust area in Northern Ireland found that agreement rates in mediation were higher than the national average, and that there were clear and quantifiable time and resource savings for the Health and Social Services Trust. The model of practice is presented to stimulate much needed further discussion about family mediation in Northern Ireland and to advocate for an agreed model of service delivery and increased availability of family mediation in Northern Ireland.