Latest News

Whilst the new school term has just begun, like many parents, you may already be thinking ahead to September 2024, when your child will be due to start or change school. As applications for next autumn’s school places open, many parents are considering their options. But deciding which school you want to send your child to can be a source of contention, and tricky to resolve, especially for … [Read more...]

Thousands of children are caught up in delays in the family courts in England and Wales and are having to wait almost a year for decisions about where they will live or what time they can spend with their parents following divorce or separation. For many of the children who have been removed from their parents by the state, the wait is, on average, 46 weeks.  That is almost double the … [Read more...]

We are delighted to announce that Lorraine McNay has completed her Family Mediation Council (FMC) accreditation and is now a fully accredited mediator at Family Matters. Lorraine started her journey to become a mediator by completing the Family Mediators Association’s (FMA) foundation course in 2019.  Before this, her career had been focused on supporting families with complex needs, … [Read more...]

Juliette Dalrymple The government is proposing a shake-up to the justice system, making mediation mandatory for separating couples.  The proposals are going through a consultation period that will end on 15th June 2023. The aim is to protect children from the damaging effects that courtroom battles have on them when their parents separate. It will mean that separating couples … [Read more...]

Juliette Dalrymple The Family Solutions Group (FSG) has released a report following its ‘language matters’ workshops in which 400 professionals, including mediators, solicitors and judges, shared what they thought were the most harmful words relating to family relationships. The group, which was set up by the Honourable Mr Justice Cobb, believes that language that has evolved out of an … [Read more...]