Family Mediation Blog

Early and late sittings will be piloted in civil and family courts, giving people greater access to hearings that can fit around their busy lives.

Published 16 November 2018

HM Courts & Tribunals Service, Ministry of Justice, and Lucy Frazer QC MP

The Government has announced it plans to improve the enforcement of financial orders in family matters. Each year thousands of separating couples obtain financial orders from the courts. These might include where a court decides partners must pay money to one another (for example, to support an ex-partner) or to transfer property to the other after a relationship breaks down. Sometimes these orders are not complied with.

Justice Minister Lucy Frazer has announced that the Government will bring forward measures to improve the enforcement system. The government will -

• provide new guidance for litigants so they know how to enforce their awards,
• amend or change the court forms so that debtors and creditors understand what is required of them,
• let debtors know the consequences of lying to the Court,
• streamline the system to cut down on unnecessary hearings where all are in agreement, and,
• explore amendments to the Family Procedure Rules 2010,

Still under consideration by the government are -

• giving the courts wider powers to obtain information from third parties, for example, banks and pension providers, about a debtor’s assets,
• extending existing methods of enforcement to assets such as pension savings and joint bank accounts, and,
• enabling courts to apply pressure on debtors who have the means to pay but are refusing

Gary's blog discusses how parental behaviours are used to disrrupt their children's lives and suggests strategies for dealing with that.

When Children Become Pawns in the Parental Custody Dispute

Some issues between separated parents are unimaginable. I have heard stories of children coached to call the other parent names; to misbehave; to not eat their food; to be mean to step-siblings. Indeed, over the years, I have interviewed children who have told me that and worse.

Some parents in a bid to curry favor with their child will actually let them eat junk food as they want; miss school; stay out late; use drugs or drink alcohol or otherwise do as they wish just to make the reasonable parenting of the other parent seem inappropriate.

Todays' theme is 'Accenrtuate the Positive' and below you'll find a mediation version of the popular song.