Latest Solicitors News - November 2010

Mediation to become compulsory for warring parents

From early 2011, divorcing couples who use the courts to settle disputes over money or children will be forced to try mediation first in an attempt to settle their differences.

The initial mandatory meeting will explain the process of mediation and decide on the parents’ suitability for it. With 137,000 disputes being heard by the courts last year, it is hoped that this move will relieve some of the strain on the system.

Should couples still need to go to court, they would need to try to reach a solution at a pre-trial hearing or conciliation appointment, similar to the current process for dividing a couple’s assets. This would give them a chance to find out the expected judgement, preventing the costs of a full hearing.

A system of shorter, simpler and faster hearings will be put in place to handle the most complex cases.

This plan will run in conjunction with the Separated Parent Information Programmes currently being piloted in the UK.