Can Mediation Ever Be Appropriate Where There Has Been Domestic Abuse?
It’s a question that often divides opinion. While many people assume the answer is simply “no”, the reality is more complex.
For people separating or divorcing, family mediation can often help resolve issues such as arrangements for children or finances without going to court. However, where there has been domestic abuse, deciding whether mediation is appropriate requires particularly careful consideration.
Every situation is different. Whether family mediation is appropriate depends on a careful assessment of the circumstances and, above all, the safety of those involved.
🎥 In this short video, FLiP Director and Mediator Helen Greenfield explains when mediation may be possible, the safeguards that can be put in place and why circumstances involving domestic abuse should always be approached with great care.
More about Helen
Helen advises on all matters relating to family breakdown, divorce and cohabitation. She has a particular interest in helping those who have been affected by domestic abuse, which can include anything from isolating a person from their friends and family, monitoring their time or taking control over aspects of their everyday life (such as where they can go, who they can see, what to wear, their finances or when they can sleep) as well as threats to hurt, to kill or even physical assault.
Helen recognises that the legal implications of domestic abuse are accompanied by a plethora of emotional and other issues, and she aims to ensure that people are able to work through them with the right advice and support.
Helen’s aim is to ensure the situation people face, as a result of their relationship breakdown, is made as easy as it can be. She works with clients, both domestic and internationally, to deal with their problems in a constructive manner so the individual, any children and everyone else involved can move forward positively. Helen is a qualified collaborative lawyer and a trained mediator. She is also a qualified Mental Health First Aider.
