Burke: Aim is to have people knocking on mediator’s door first
Awareness of family mediation as an alternative to legal advice is not matched by action, with nearly half of people saying their first professional port of call in divorce or separation would be a lawyer, according to the Family Mediation Council (FMC).
The research, commissioned by the FMC to mark family mediation week, found that 22% of the 1,027 people polled by Survation were ‘very aware’ that family mediation was an option in divorce or separation to help avoid court, and a further 44% ‘somewhat aware’.
But, when asked which type of professional help would first be turned to for help resolving money, parenting, or property issues, 45% said a lawyer, while 30% opted for a family mediator. Nearly one in five (19%) did not know, while 6% said ‘somewhere else’.
Stephen Burke, chair of the FMC, said it was “good that so many people know family mediation is an option”.
He continued: “It is now my goal to ensure that growing awareness means that divorcing and separating couples take action, knocking on a family mediator’s door first. They will do so knowing the process can lead to their issues being resolved more quickly, with less stress and less expense than if they head off to a court.”
More than 1,000 mediators are registered with the FMC.
Meanwhile, Mr Burke welcomed the government’s decision to extend the family mediation voucher scheme – which the Ministry of Justice funds and FMC administers – by 12 months to March 2026.
“Analysis of the family mediation voucher scheme has shown it to be successful in helping people make important agreements without the need to go to court,” he said.
The voucher – introduced during the pandemic in March 2021 to ease pressure on the courts – providers a financial contribution of up to £500 towards the costs of mediation with an FMC-registered provider.
Research published in 2023 from the first 7,200 families to use the scheme showed that 69% were able to reach agreement on some or all issues as a result of mediation, rising to 76% of those who spent more than the £500 voucher.
Half of respondents said they would not have self-funded sessions in the absence of the scheme.
