With a hearty welcome from family mediators and lawyers alike, the Family Mediation Council (“FMC”) and Ministry of Justice (“MOJ”) have announced that the ground breaking Family Mediation Voucher Scheme will now be extended to 2025.
The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme was first introduced in March 2021, offering £500 to separated couples wanting to mediate over child arrangements. The intention was to allow them to discuss the issues within mediation, helping them to find a solution, before making an application to court for a contested child arrangements order.
This latest announcement is a second extension to the scheme, the first being announced in June 2022.
It has been widely recognised that family mediation is a much better way for separated couples to deal with child arrangements as it is:
- Future focussed
- Encourages collaboration
- Provides more control over child arrangements when coming to an agreement
- Allows children to know their parents are trying to work together
- Quicker than going to court
- Cheaper than going to court, and
- Less stressful than appearing in court
Unlike legal aid, the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme is not currently means tested and can only be applied for by an accredited family mediator who is registered for the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme with the Family Mediation Council.
If you would like to talk to a family mediator and find out more about the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme and how it could benefit you, please call us on 0333 567 1676 or click here to send us a confidential email.
