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Mediation Matters: Changing the culture of divorce – a mediator’s new year reflections

Date:4 JAN 2016
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Chief Executive, NFM

When a new year dawns there’s often an eagerness to settle on some new year aspirations. But in the rush for resolutions it’s easy to overlook the need to reflect on the year that’s passed.

So before I outline my professional wishes for 2016 allow me a brief reflection on 2015. Highlights are too many to mention in a short blog but aside from rising demand that NFM mediators have experienced over the past 12 months let me pick out just two specific highs.

One of these was the remarkable success of NFM’s At-Court Mediation project funded by the DWP which completed its trial period in the summer.

The programme which ran in three pilot areas helped parents who had been separated for more than 2 years and were locked in the family court system to suspend legal proceedings and meet specialist mediators to negotiate long-term arrangements for children property and finance.

It successfully showed that couples who have become entrenched in conflict can with the right help find an exit from the courtroom drama and...

Read the full article here.