Mediation, mediation, mediation

Following the news that National Family Mediation have seen calls to their helpline double in the last year, Stone King’s Mediation team is also able to report similar increases in numbers.

With the cuts to Legal Aid and the cost in divorce court fees rising, couples are increasingly looking at ways of resolving their issues far more amicably via a mediation route.

Family Mediation is also one of the few areas where Legal Aid is still available.

The Government’s policy was to divert people away from the courts and to mediation, with such increases in numbers it is clear that this policy is now beginning to work.

Mediation is not an alternative to sound legal advice, however, by involving a mediator early on, the legal advice can be used as bolt on to the process not as an alternative.

Couples are now increasingly seeking tailored legal advice specific to the issues raised in mediation, consequently this means that they are often able to reach solutions that are far less costly to them in terms of legal advice.