‘Will Family Mediation Be Made Compulsory?’ Caroline Bowden Discusses in Parliament

Caroline Bowden gave evidence before the Justice Select Committee in Parliament on Monday 19 June. She was on a panel discussing the government’s consultation on resolving family disputes earlier through family mediation.

Watch the full discussion here.

Caroline spoke as a director of the Family Mediation Council and with her experience as a practising mediator.  The session seemed well received by the Committee, who were interested in whether or not family mediation was going to be made compulsory.

Caroline made clear that mediation was an inherently voluntary process. So whilst it was possible to make attendance at the initial, one-to-one meeting compulsory, no one can be forced into mediation. She said the initial meeting, also known as a MIAM (Mediation, Information and Assessment Meeting) had value whether or not mediation followed. It allows participants to hear about their options, receive tailored legal information and find out about other services and ways to resolve their disputes. It can even be a reality checker to divert parents from making court applications for remedies that may not be available anyway, or at least not in the way they expect.

Caroline did however tell the Committee that mediation was a much better way of resolving disputes than court, for the couples suited to it.  As parents, they can not only sort out practical arrangements but also devise ways to better communicate with one another and lessen or eliminate any hostilities and tensions that might be causing direct harm to their children.