Feuding parents could be refused legal aid unless

article in today's Telegraph - might be of some interest

www.telegraph.co.uk/family/8046239/Feudi...ss-they-mediate.html

In Scotland, feuding parents are expected by the Courts to have at least attempted mediation (as provided by the likes of Relationships Scotland), before taking their dispute to Court. The Court can, and does, refer feuding parents back to a mediation service if it feels that a proper attempt at mediation hasn't been made before going to Court.

perhaps something similar adopted for E/W family law could work?

I received an email recently from my local court which gave details of a court sponsored scheme, attendance upon which could be directed by the court by parents or grandparents involved in contact proceedings.

The idea was that there would be a 'workshop' of 8 or so people and they would have to attend twice for 2 hours (I recall) over a fortnight. People would be able to talk through their case with people in the same position and on the other side of the fence.

It seems like a good idea and perhaps provides a reality check for those who are not prepared to compromise e.g. a mother who refuses to allow overnight contact of a baby as the father has got no experience of looking after the child and/or the child has not spent time away from the mother previously OR a father who believes that he can attend for contact or not depending upon his mood or what he has planned.

In reality, the entitlement to legal aid has reduced substantially and people should not receive legal aid as a matter of course. They should at least attempt to reach a resolution on their own. If they are adult enough to have children they should be able to engage in rational decision-making too.

Charles

This article from National Family Mediation is interesting - talks about alternatives to Court

nfm.org.uk/news/77-family-policy/374-con...r-access-to-children

I read a similar article in The Star tonight. Oh how I wish the court would send my stbx on a parenting course to focus on our child instead of himself. Trouble is, he'd probably think he was the child that the course was referring to.

He has wasted so much time and money going through the courts to get contact, when it's been given to him on a plate via mediation & solicitor - it's ended up in court, 3 attendendances for us each, 3 attendances by CAFCASS, even the judge spelled it out to him what he was doing wrong and he still doesn't grasp that our child is the important one, not him.

On the other hand, he's using all this to make me look the bad parent, and he simply won't have it that it's him.

What a waste of space, breath and tax payer's money, or mine, or his - i've no idea who's gonna pay for all this.


Escaped