Did you know that the separating parents of 9 in 10 children choose to come to an arrangement outside court?
Working with a specialist family mediator can help you reach a unique agreement tailored to your circumstances. Mediated agreements can be reached much more quickly than court proceedings, and evidence shows that they last longer, too.
You may not be familiar with family mediation. Three important things to know are:
- Mediation is not relationship counselling. It is there to help you agree specific financial arrangements or arrangements in relation to your child(ren).
- Mediators are trained to bring parties together to reach an agreement, even if one of the parties is sceptical or resistant to mediating.
- If you are concerned about the enforcement of an agreement made at mediation, it is possible to apply to have them formalised through the court through a process called a ‘consent order’.
Right now, for a limited time, many people can apply for a £500 voucher from the Ministry of Justice to cover all or part of your mediation costs. You can find out if mediation is right for you and your family by contacting a mediator who can guide you through the next steps. Contact details for family mediators across the country are found on the
website.
If you would like advice on this or any other aspect of relationship breakdown, please contact
Paddock Wood Community Advice Centre and we’d be happy to help.
PWCAC is OPEN for face-to-face advice (appointments and drop-ins) Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 1:30pm. If you need advice about the above or issues relating to housing and homelessness, debt, relationship breakdown, other welfare benefits, employment or anything else, please get in touch with us.