With the average family court case duration being 46 weeks in 2023, law firm Rollits, says, that it is “a stark reminder for families to consider mediation”. Statistics show that this is at an all term high.
With Family Mediation Week being this week, there is already a lot of news and attention on mediation. Family law practitioners across their own websites, LinkedIn, X, Instagram and event TikTok are wanting to raise awareness of the many advantages of mediation.
Hull and York family law firm, Rollits, have taken this opportunity to urge families to consider mediation for their disputes and issues to save them time, money, and stress. This comes after recent Family Court Statistics, which depict a record high for court case length.
Family Mediation Week which is running from 22nd-26th January 2024 – provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the benefits family mediation can bring to separating families. The aim is to encourage separating couples to consider mediation in order to create a more amicable split, where both parties can take control and make decisions together for the future.
Taking a deep dive into the Family Court statistics over the past 10+ years, Rollits have highlighted that it is clear that the more traditional process is both time consuming and costly for families. The latest data shows that the 5-year average for court cases to close stands at 34 weeks for private law (children and finance) matters.
This is the highest 5-year average ever recorded, with 5-year averages as follows:
- 2011-15: 30 weeks
- 2012-16: 28 weeks
- 2013-17: 26 weeks
- 2014-18: 25 weeks
- 2015-19: 25 weeks
- 2016-20: 26 weeks
- 2017-21: 30 weeks
- 2018-22: 34 weeks
The most recent data which was released in December 2023 (covering Q3 of 2023) revealed that the average number of weeks taken to conclude a case in 2023 was 46 weeks (around 10 months). Rollits have estimated that if Q4 continued in the same way then we are likely to be looking at a 5-year average of 38 weeks this year, when that data is published.
In comparison, the Family Mediation Council have said that it usually takes between three and five mediation meetings to come to an agreement, depending on what you need to sort out.
As such, the national Family Mediation Week is an ideal opportunity to inform families of the many areas mediation can assist:
- Parenting arrangements for children
- Direct consultation with children
- Grandparents contact arrangements
- Financial issues – including division of assets and income
- Pre Nuptial Issues
- Post Nuptial Issues
- Cohabitation Issues
- Separation Issues
- Divorce and separation
- How to communicate with each other
Alison Benson, Partner and Head of Family at Rollits, said:
“Family law issues are almost always stressful for everyone involved, and have the potential to be incredibly divisive. If each individual situation does not receive the utmost care and bespoke treatment, it can leave families suffering irreparably.
Not only this, but families may be left out of pocket, as lengthy court cases can cost a huge amount of money, as well as taking up unnecessary time. This further adds to the pressure of the situation.
Family courts can be a rather restrictive way of coming to a solution; a clinical process that may not consider the emotions at play. Alternatively, family mediation offers an impartial party who can guide families to a solution that works for them and their family, that they both feel is fair. It allows them to not only solve the current problems afoot, but to look forward to a future that is bright and hopeful.”
