From 6 April, all separating couples will be asked to attend an initial mediation meeting to assess whether they can resolve their disputes outside of court. It is hoped that the move will save money and provide a more amicable solution where children are involved.
While the principle of expanding access to mediation services has been welcomed, senior figures in the sector fear the change is being rushed through without proper consideration of the potential pitfalls, including the supply of trained mediators and the geographical spread of services.
Sarah Lloyd, director of alternative dispute resolution at Resolution, one of the six member organisations of the Family Mediation Council (FMC), said she is expecting major problems. "We haven't had very long to prepare for this and mediators will need to set themselves up to do this properly," she said.
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