Mediation

Economic uncertainty, court delays, dwindling legal aid & rising costs are all aiding the recent rise in the number of financial disputes in divorce cases, writes James Maguire

Mediators should not be celebrating the repeated extension of the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme, according to Stuart Hanson, an FMC-accredited mediator, professional practice consultant and legal aid internal supervisor at Direct Mediation Services.

Stuart Hanson on why mediators should not be celebrating the repeated extension of an inadequate scheme

The family justice Pathfinder courts pilot will expand into Mid and West Wales next month and West Yorkshire in June, ministers have announced.

Two thirds of people are aware that family mediation is an option to help avoid court in the event of divorce or separation, but only 30% would make a family mediator their first port of call.

When the wheels are threatening to come off in negotiations, what can the mediator do? Stephen Shaw offers some top tips for getting things back on track

Rachel Davenport, Co-founder and Director at AlphaBiolabs, discusses the role that Drug, Alcohol and DNA testing can play in non-court dispute resolution   

The family courts are increasingly ready to impose costs orders as a result of poor behaviour or misleading evidence, say Stowe Family Law senior associates Siobhan Vegh and Natalie Nero, and solicitor Rebecca Sutton. Writing in this week’s NLJ, Vegh, Nero and Sutton talk us through a recent example, the divorce and financial remedies case, NW v BH.

Family practitioners should be aware of the courts’ increasing readiness to impose costs orders as a result of poor behaviour or misleading evidence: Siobhan Vegh, Natalie Nero & Rebecca Sutton highlight a recent example

The Family Procedure Rules (FPR) have changed. In this week’s NLJ, David Emmerson, partner at Anthony Gold, takes a detailed look at the new rulebook, particularly the powers granted by Pt 3 on case management and the use of non-court dispute resolution procedures.