Together with seven other divorce and family law specialists in Leeds we have launched Lawyer-Supported Mediation in the city.  The national ground breaking initiative comes at a time when more and more people are representing themselves at court following the withdrawal last year of Legal Aid for most family law cases.

The service offers a fixed fee package which includes mediation and independent legal advice for couples seeking to sort out issues concerning finance, children, divorce or any combination of these.

Fiona Kendall, partner at Jones Myers, who are leading the Leeds hub said: “This is a real chance to lead the way in bringing down the cost of family law services. Working as a likeminded group of lawyers and mediators, we can put an end to the widely-held view that lawyers are beyond the means of average income separating couples.”

Jones Myers will act as part of a carefully selected panel of family law experts from across the region to provide couples with a new method of resolving their differences in a cost effective manner.

Other firms involved are Chadwick Lawrence, Simpson Millar, Clarion, Lake Legal, Blacks Solicitors, Ison Harrison and Winston Solicitors.

A recent report by Napo, the union representing family court staff, claimed that the family courts were now 10 times more likely to see both parents in a custody dispute without legal representation as opposed to them being represented by a solicitor.

Publicly funded family mediation in the Leeds area has likewise struggled to divert separating couples from the courts. Data from the Ministry of Justice shows that between May and November 2013, the total number of mediations getting underway fell by just over 40% (41%), compared to the same period in 2012.

Trained mediator and founder of LawyerSupportedMediation.com, Marc Lopatin explains: “We dramatically reduce the cost of accessing legal experts by fusing their advice with family mediation, where separating couples can resolve their differences. We know from government data that two-thirds of people who begin mediation go on to reach agreement, so we need to find new ways of encouraging more people to try.

Beyond Leeds, the service is being piloted in Newcastle, Manchester and London.

Lawyer-Supported Mediation launches in six UK locations in April & May.

For a free estimate – including a fixed legal fee – call 033 0223 1188 or visit www.lawyersupportedmediation.com

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As a vociferous campaigner who fears that the repercussions of the demise of Legal Aid will put vulnerable children at risk and deny youngsters contact with their parents – I was horrified to hear that the brutal cutbacks could be jeopardizing family venues.

The impact of the April 2013 removal of £220 million of cuts to Legal Aid is already biting hard just weeks after its implementation.

Once a fundamental pillar of the legal structure, which enabled our financially weaker members of society to seek legal advice and representation to help resolve their problems, its removal has cast hundreds of thousands of families into a ‘legal wilderness’.

For families feeling stressed and traumatised because they won’t know which way to turn – and who to turn to – I’ve previously forecast how repercussions include more children playing truant from school, a rise in depression causing more time off work, further strain on the NHS budget – along with an escalation in crime as children’s problems are left unresolved.

My fears about ‘desperate fathers’ taking action into their own hands as a direct result of being unable to see an expert family lawyer has been reflected in the recent resurfacing of  Fathers 4 Justice after one of its members was charged with defacing a painting of the Queen in Westminster Abbey.

I was interviewed and quoted on the Channel 4 website about this incident – attributing it to fathers’ frustration as we move further and further from a court-driven system of resolution, which could well result in more of these type of protests.

I empathise with the despair and frustration of these fathers. The Government has made it impossible for family law specialists like Jones Myers to assist and manage parents’ expectations, stemming from the demise of Legal Aid.

In light of the cutbacks, the importance of having accessibility to venues for family outings the length and breadth of the UK which do not cost those already struggling financially a proverbial arm and leg – and where they can savour precious quality access time with their children – has taken on an unprecedented importance.

So why on earth is the Government further compounding the situation and adding insult to injury by oscillating over whether or not it will close museums where fathers and their children can enjoy stimulating and memorable days out?

Contact us with your views by leaving a comment below follow us on Twitter @HelpwithDivorce – or call us at our Leeds office on 0113 246 0055 or our London office on 0203 617 8746.

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