SOLIHULL MP JOINS CROSS-PARTY DRIVE TO IMPROVE FAMILY MEDIATION SERVICES

3.55.20pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 10th May 2007

Solihull's MP, Lorely Burt is to become a co-sponsor of a parliamentary motion calling on the government to honour it's commitment to fund mediation services for couples involved in family breakdown.

The motion will highlight the effectiveness of mediation after family breakdown and calls for the expansion of the service to save more cases ending up in time consuming and often acrimonious settlements through the courts.

Lorely Burt MP said:

"Resolving family disputes through mediation is not only quicker and less acrimonious, but also cheaper and far more likely to lead to a lasting settlement that is accepted by both partners without recriminations.

"At present, the Legal Services Commission is assessing its new funding proposals at current levels of take-up, but if they were to place more onus on funding for mediation, then more settlements would stick and more money would be saved.

"The average cost of legal aid in non-mediated cases is estimated at £1,682, compared with £752 for mediated cases.

"This means that, at present, there is an additional annual cost to the taxpayer of some £74 million because couples are not being referred to mediation and therefore not using it - so this is the kind of sum which would be saved if the Legal Services Commission enforced the legal duty which is on solicitors in legally-aided divorce cases."