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Family Solicitors

Government must provide more information about mediation in family cases (24 February 2015)

Date: 24/02/2015
Duncan Lewis, Family Solicitors, Government must provide more information about mediation in family cases

Leading charity National Family Mediation (NFM) has called on the government to shoulder more responsibility for the lack of information about alternative approaches to settling family disputes.

The Solicitors Journal reports that, every day in 2014, seven grandparents applied to the Family Division of the court to see a grandchild following a divorce or separation.

Figures obtained by Liberal Democrat MP and Justice Minister Simon Hughes show that in 2014, a total of 2,517 court applications were made for Child Arrangement Orders or Contact Orders – which enable a named person to have contact with a child.

The chef executive of NFM, Jane Robey said:

“A divorce or separation can shatter grandparents' lives as much as the couple involved, because it can mean contact with the grandchildren they love is suddenly blocked.

“Making an approach to court should be used only as a last resort by anxious grandparents.

“Our worry is that the huge majority of the 2,517 grandparents applying for court orders in 2014 knew nothing about the alternative options available to them.

“The family court system is a huge expense to the taxpayer – and government must bear its share of the blame for the lack of information and education about alternative ways to resolve family disputes, including family mediation.

“The government says it wants to keep family disputes out or court, wherever possible.

“It can certainly talk the talk, but it needs to do more to walk the walk,” Ms Robey added.

Many family cases lost their eligibility for Legal Aid under the Legal Aid reforms introduced by the coalition government.

This has resulted in more people fighting contested divorces or applying for Child Arrangement Orders or Contact Orders acting in court as litigants in person – self-representing – if they are unable to afford a solicitor.

Duncan Lewis Family Solicitors

Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of family solicitors who can advise on a wide range of child care matters, including but not limited to:

• Care proceedings
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• Co-parenting agreements
• Court of Protection
• Divorce
• Pre-nuptial agreements
• Wills and trusts.

Duncan Lewis is also a leading firm of Legal Aid solicitors and can advise on funding a case in the Family Division, as well as dispute resolution in family and child care cases.

For expert legal advice on family law and child care matters, call Duncan Lewis family solicitors on 020 7923 4020.


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