Children To Have More Say In Their Futures

Children are being reintroduced to parents they’ve lost contact with following a marriage break up with the help of leading family law experts.

Nottingham Family Law Group are now providing direct consultation services with children in a mediation process.

“Children are often the biggest victims of marriage breakdown and their voices are seldom heard enough, so we hope this move will help repair many relationships,” said Amanda Brown, Director of Nottingham Family Law.

According to a government focus group Voice of the Child over 100,000 children lose contact with a parent each year added Miss Brown, of Family Law Group on Canal Street, in the city centre.

She said the move made sense as developments in family law were such it is likely that in the future the government will want children aged 10 and over to be involved in mediation with separating parents.

Last year Simon Hughes MP said; “The Ministry of Justice, will move to apply in all family justice proceedings where children are concerned a policy that it will be the norm that from the age of 10, they will have access to the judge to make clear their views as to the best resolution in their interests.”

“It is a sensible step and has to be done to help children and families in this way after especially difficult break-ups,” he added.

Miss Brown said “Law firms needed to be at the forefront of developments in family related law changes. More and more the rights of the child are being mentioned in the media and providing a mediation service to assist in the re-introduction of absent parents to children seems a sensible step.”

“This is very early days for us but it is clear the legal industry sees mediation as an integral part of its future.”