The Family Mediator's Blog

When the Divorce Reform Act was passed in 1969, most saw it as a hard won advance but also as transitional measure which removed fault from divorce but contrived to leave it with blame.  More than 50 years on, it remains in force but, hopefully, not for much longer. Read more

The simple answer to such a question is: ‘I don’t expect you to’.    There are many situations where family mediation is not the best option.  This may be one – possibly.  Read more

So the Parliamentary Bill to reform the law of divorce – lost when Parliament was dissolved for the general election – has been reintroduced this week. That is welcome news indeed. But does it go far enough? Read more

An article originally written by family mediator Paul Kemp for the Family Law Panel website. Read more

Families across the Western world are deep in negotiation about how they will spend the Christmas holiday. For any family, it gets complicated, especially when not everyone lives in the same town or region (or, indeed, country). Read more

The recent highly publicised divorce case between Worcestershire couple Mr and Mrs Owens appears to have provided the stimulus for the Government to review the law and explore whether reform is needed.  Such a review has just been announced. Read more

You never wanted to be a single parent; few mums or dads do.  But here you are, feeling lost and alone and with lots of questions. Read more

Step-parents (and especially stepmothers) get a bad press – and it’s pretty much unfair on the many women (and men) who are doing their very best to help their partner’s children adjust to a new stage in their lives. Read more

Mums and Dads who come to family mediation are usually asked what they most want for their children.  Their first answer is almost always the same:  ‘I want my children to be happy’. Read more

The most important  question to ask when considering a mediator is:  ‘Are  you registered with the Family Mediation Council?’  If not, then avoid them like the plague – they may not be properly trained, supervised or subject to basic professional standards. Read more