Government Launches Family Mediation Voucher Scheme

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has released a voucher scheme which will provide contribution towards the costs for family mediation. This is an attempt to alleviate the stress that the family courts are currently under, and also to be able to allow separating couples to avoid stressful court situations.

What is family mediation?

Family mediation is the process in which a legal professional act as a mediator to help you to work out arrangements for your children and your finances after a separation. Mediation can also be helpful if arrangements that you have previously made need to change, such as if your children have grown up. The statistics that have been released by the government along with the scheme indicate that more than 70% of couples who use mediation managed to resolve their issues outside of court. The process is less stressful and significantly quicker than going to court and can also mean that you save money on court fees. Legal Aid can sometimes also be offered to families that are eligible. The mediator is there in order to help you work through disagreements and find solutions that work for both parties, and then explain how to make the agreement legally binding, if you would wish to do so. Obviously, there are cases where mediation would not be deemed appropriate. In cases that have involved domestic abuse or child protection issues, there are alternate legal options that will be used to make sure that everyone involved feels protected at all times.

What is the family mediation voucher scheme?

The family mediation voucher scheme has been introduced in order to support parties who may be able to resolve their family law disputes outside of court. Through the Ministry of Justice, the government will therefore provide up to £500 towards the mediation costs for eligible cases. 2000 families will be able to be given one of these vouchers to help them with any costs that they may incur.

How can we help you?

At Cartwright King, we offer a wide range of family mediation services. Some conflicts that we have dealt with in the past include:

• Divorce and separation issues
• Child custody and parenting battles
• Disagreements over the rights of grandparents
• Family business disputes
• Inheritance battles
• Extended family conflict
• Disputes over elder care

Read more on our family mediation page

Sometimes, mediation can also be used in special cases to deal with workplace conflicts and disagreements between neighbours.

The voucher scheme is specifically targeted at families who have disputes that are relating to child matters or financial matters that would have an impact on a family unit. Only mediators that are authorised by the Family Mediation Council (FMC) are taking part in the voucher scheme, so you can be assured that you will be getting the very best support.

If you are likely to be needing the legal help of mediation, then this voucher scheme could be beneficial in helping you to bypass the costly and difficult process of going through the courts. Visiting the government website can help you to understand whether you are eligible, and a chat with our specialists could get you started in a successful mediation process.