My life is on hold because of court delays
Do not let your life remain on hold because you are waiting for a date in court during the divorce process. Family mediation can help.
Court delays
There were already significant delays in the court system before March 2020. A decade of cuts, court closures and amalgamations had taken their toll. However, the first national lockdown in March 2020 derailed the fine balance there was between judge availability and court time and access to prompt resolution.
In the first lockdown, as with many organisations, there was an initial hiatus while the court system arranged for court hearings to be held remotely. This meant for a period of approximately four weeks hearings were adjourned and have had to be relisted in an already crowded timetable.
Consequently, there are currently substantial delays in court cases in cases where, for example, dates were requested in October but have still yet to be listed and dates are now being considered in the second half of this year. In these circumstances, people often turn to mediators, particularly to experienced lawyer mediators who have insight into the court experience and the stresses and strains involved.
Mediation does not involve a different process for resolving matters it is just a different method of arriving at a settlement proposal. You decide rather than a Judge and mediation can be used at the beginning, middle or end of a matter. A referral can be made at any time and if you are awaiting a court date, or it is many months away, now might be the time to consider it.
How Blake Morgan can help
Christine Plews is writing a series of blogs for Family Mediation Week, which is 18-22 January 2021, and they will be published on Monday through to Friday. The aim of the week is to raise awareness of mediation and how it can help separating families manage their issues collaboratively and productively.
Christine is a vastly experienced family lawyer with over 30 years’ experience in this area. She is highly ranked and recommended in legal directories. Christine was a partner at Blake Morgan LLP until 2019 when she became a Consultant specialising in mediation.
Please do get in touch to find out more about family mediation.
You can read the other articles written during Family Mediation Week here:
- Be kind to yourself: prioritising your own wellbeing and family relationships
- Can you change mediator?
- When you need more than a mediator
- An insight into child inclusive mediation
This article is part of Private Client Issues – February 2021
Tags: coronavirus, Coronavirus families and individuals
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