Suffolk’s family courts launch mediation services to the region’s separating families

A major new initiative between Suffolk’s family courts and local mediators will see anxious parents helped to reach agreements about their children, rather than have decisions imposed upon them by courts.
 
Mediation has been available to families locally for around ten years.  This new approach will see the mediators working with parents in court buildings on the day of the court hearings.
 
Her Honour Judge Ludlow, Suffolk's most senior family judge, said:   "The mediators have already put a huge amount of work into this. The scheme will be entirely free to parents, and is a fine example of local professionals giving up their time to help our community."
 
The mediators will be in Ipswich County Court on Wednesdays, starting on the 10th February  Sir Mark Potter, President of the Family Division,  England's most senior family judge and a keen advocate of mediation, will be visiting the court on the 8th February and will inaugurate the new initiative after attending a presentation about the new scheme.
 
A total of ten local mediators are giving their time to run the scheme - many of them are also solicitors specialising in family law.
 
One of the mediators, Stephen Anderson of Birketts, says "We have already agreed with the judges that, if all goes well with the scheme, we will be rolling it out to the courts in Bury St Edmunds and Lowestoft."
 
Mediator Catherine Iliff of Fosters Mediation added: “Above all, this is about helping parents to communicate and find ways to make good, workable arrangements for their children."