A new body has been set up to help promote the use of family mediation throughout the UK.

The Family Mediation Council was launched on 10th October and is backed by the Ministry of Justice and the Law Commission. Its leading members include the family law group Resolution and the Law Society.

A spokesman for the council says the council will work to raise public awareness about mediation and promote professional standards among practitioners. Its mission is to “ensure that separating and divorcing couples have confidence in, and can benefit from, the true valuation of mediation”.

The establishment of the new council shows the growing importance of mediation as an alternative to litigation in resolving disputes.

A trained mediator can help bring both parties together so that they can negotiate a reasonable settlement that is fair to both sides. This can usually be done for a fraction of the cost of going through the courts. It is also far less stressful and damaging to relationships. 

The government recently began a campaign to promote the use of mediation in all walks of life and for all manner of disagreements. The techniques can be applied equally well to business disputes, workplace disagreements or divorce proceedings.

Mediation will not be suitable or possible in all cases but it is certainly worth exploring before embarking on court proceedings. We are happy to offer advice on both mediation and litigation.