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The justice minister today announced that ALL divorcing couples will have to attend mediation before going down the court route……
His reasoning “mediation was "a quicker, cheaper and more amicable alternative" to the over-worked family courts”
My opinion on this……….. complete and utter waste of time!
I attended two mediation sessions (first one free second one £250). You gather information together – but it is nothing like the information that you have when you complete your financial Form E for court (full and frank financial disclosure). You are under no obligation to provide all your financials. Throughout the sessions the ex could not even bear to look at me so it put us both under extreme pressure and ended up with my suggestion of a settlement being totally pooh poohed by the ex and him completely loosing the plot with me and not agreeing to anything the mediator suggested. End result…….. back to the solicitors to sort out and a year later and thousands of pounds lighter just before going to court the ex has agreed to what I first suggested back last year in mediation……….
The reason being that with the court documents you have to disclose everything it is the law and after this and realising that I was not hiding a thing (my finances were an open book) he accepted the offer.
Now that is my opinion……. But…….. Mr Looloo and his ex wife went to mediation – about 4 or 5 sessions and managed to get a sensible agreement with was acceptable to them both and also took into account the children. Then it just had to be made into a legal document and all sorted. It probably saved them both a fortune in solicitors costs.
I personally think you should no be forced into this as each situation is different and you know yourself whether it will work or not.
Lets see how this goes.
His reasoning “mediation was "a quicker, cheaper and more amicable alternative" to the over-worked family courts”
The measures for England and Wales, focused on child custody and financial disputes, come into force on 6 April.
Domestic violence and child protection cases will still go to court”
My opinion on this……….. complete and utter waste of time!
I attended two mediation sessions (first one free second one £250). You gather information together – but it is nothing like the information that you have when you complete your financial Form E for court (full and frank financial disclosure). You are under no obligation to provide all your financials. Throughout the sessions the ex could not even bear to look at me so it put us both under extreme pressure and ended up with my suggestion of a settlement being totally pooh poohed by the ex and him completely loosing the plot with me and not agreeing to anything the mediator suggested. End result…….. back to the solicitors to sort out and a year later and thousands of pounds lighter just before going to court the ex has agreed to what I first suggested back last year in mediation……….
The reason being that with the court documents you have to disclose everything it is the law and after this and realising that I was not hiding a thing (my finances were an open book) he accepted the offer.
Now that is my opinion……. But…….. Mr Looloo and his ex wife went to mediation – about 4 or 5 sessions and managed to get a sensible agreement with was acceptable to them both and also took into account the children. Then it just had to be made into a legal document and all sorted. It probably saved them both a fortune in solicitors costs.
I personally think you should no be forced into this as each situation is different and you know yourself whether it will work or not.
Lets see how this goes.
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