Family Mediation For All

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee published its report 'Legal Services Commission: legal aid and mediation for people involved in family breakdown' (HC 396) on 16 October 2007, following its scrutiny of the Legal Services Commission (LSC) in March 2007. One of its conclusions was that on average, a referral to court funded by legal aid costs around £930 more than a mediated case. In response to the National Audit Office survey of recipients of legal aid, 33% said they had not been told about mediation and, of those, 42% (or 14% of the total) said they would have been willing to try it, representing potential savings of up to £10 million a year. The Committee stated that whilst mediation would remain voluntary, the LSC's guidance and information should highlight its benefits and that material should be made widely available in public places such as libraries and doctors' surgeries. For a full summary of the report see December [2007] Fam Law.