Child Inclusive Mediation at FLiP

At Family Law in Partnership our approach to mediation is very child focused. We encourage parents to adopt a co-operative and pragmatic approach to their decision making guided by what is in the best interests of their children.

Following an initial joint mediation meeting with the parents or guardians and with their consent, children can be involved in the mediation process. It is generally accepted that children aged 10 and over will be consulted about arrangements which affect them as part of the overall mediation process.

Our family mediators have a wealth of experience in child inclusive mediation, and we have four mediators who are qualified to conduct child inclusive mediations. Our Head of Mediation, Dominic Raeside, was involved in developing the code of conduct for child inclusive mediations.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How Old do Children Need to be to Take Part?

There is an expectation that children aged 10 and over will be consulted as part of the overall family mediation process on matters which affect them.

• How Does Child Inclusive Mediation Work?

In child inclusive mediation the mediator will meet with the child alone, without their parents. The focus of the meeting will be to understand how the child is feeling about their parents’ separation.

These discussions take place in confidence. Only those matters which the child agrees can be shared with the parents are fed back to the parents to help to inform their discussions.

We recognise that parents may be anxious about their child being involved in these discussions with a mediator. However, our experience is that children welcome the opportunity to have their voice heard by an independent professional who has some understanding of their family life and the issues which they face.

• Who Are FLiP’s Child Inclusive Mediators?

At FLiP our specialist mediators are:

• Dominic Raeside
• Ruth Smallacombe
• James Pirrie
• David Allison

Visit our dedicated Child Inclusive Mediation website page to find out more about Child Inclusive Mediation at Family Law in Partnership.