If your marriage or relationship has broken down and is ending, family mediation can help you make plans about your children, money and property.

Family Mediation is a way to sort out practical family arrangements, particularly during and after divorce or separation. Both of you meet with a mediator for up to six sessions to discuss arrangements for your children, and financial matters. Your children can also be directly involved if you wish.

You can use mediation whether or not you are married, and whether or not you have children. Divorce ends marriage not families, and mediation can help if you want to keep your family together, even when you live apart.

If a couple do decide to split, there is always an astonishing array of practicalities to be sorted out. Reaching joint decisions, especially when it comes to arrangements about the children, can be extremely difficult in what is invariably a highly emotionally charged atmosphere. After separation or divorce, nearly fifty per cent of estranged parents will lose all contact with their children within two years. This is often devastating both for the children and the parent who does not, or cannot, maintain contact.

Mediators are trained to help couples focus on the best outcome they can achieve both for their own future and that of their children. They help couples identify the issues that need to be sorted our such as children, finance and property and find for themselves a solution that is acceptable to both. Mediation isn't suitable for everyone, however, especially where domestic violence is involved. Some legal advice is also necessary alongside mediation. The new Family Law Act is designed to offer more protection for abused women than before.

Where to find us:

Milton Keynes Family Mediation
Acorn House
371 Midsummer Boulevard
Central Milton Keynes
MK9 3HP

Telephone: 01908 231293
Fax: 01908 690211
e-mail: familymediation@mkfms.org.uk
Website:www.mkweb.co.uk/family_mediation