The LSC: working in partnership update

Neil Robinson, Resolution Solicitor and Mediator, Member of the Board of the Family Mediators Association. The jury is still very much out about whether the LSC's proposals create a sustainable environment for the family lawyers who will hopefully increasingly refer to mediation. However, it does appear that the LSC has listened to the concerns of mediators and addressed them in part. Changes have been made: the point at which children and finance cases are referred for compulsory mediation has been shifted; an exemption from the statutory charge for lawyers at Level 2 has been introduced; the assessment of exemption for domestic abuse will move to mediators from solicitors; and the child-only multi-session fee has been increased. In this article the author looks at each of these changes in detail, identifying the positive and negative aspects. Mediators must continue to use every opportunity for dialogue, and to support their lawyer colleagues in the much harder task of sustaining the publicly funded family lawyer environment. For the full article see August [2007] Fam Law.

Read the full article here.