FMACS (Family Mediation and Counselling Services) are a leading UK business providing bespoke conflict resolution services to separating couples. With nearly half of all UK marriages ending in divorce and courtroom resolution frequently being an expensive process, it is vital that there are solutions in place to help separating individuals come to amicable agreements without needing to lean on legal services. FMACS are proud to announce that they have experienced year-on-year growth for 2024 and that their thorough approach to mediation and counselling services has helped them to address countless challenging family circumstances to build a brighter future for all parties involved.
The new mandatory mediation reforms
With a large number of separating couples seeking to take their disputes down the legal pathway, family courts have expressed worry about not being able to provide the required attention to the cases that need it most. In order to remedy this, the government have introduced reforms imposing mandatory mediation for low-level disputes; it’s estimated that this could help up to 19,000 families without them ever needing to step foot in the courtroom. This will allow vulnerable families to gain faster hearings while also negating some of the financial and mental health pressures of an extended court process. It is worth noting that if there are allegations of domestic abuse levelled at either party, mandatory mediation is not required and the case can be taken directly to court.
Making mediation and counselling widely accessible
It is not uncommon for couples to stay together long after their relationship has broken down simply because the premise of a divorce or separation incites worry. Television and the wider media don’t exactly help with this by displaying separation as a somewhat theatrical matter, however, is often very far from the truth and in instances where all involved parties have agreed that separation is the right course of action, a peaceful split can usually be agreed with only minimal mediation required.
In order to try and dispel some of the misconceptions around counselling and mediation, the owner of FMACS – Jeremy Howells, has conducted multiple interviews for BBC Radio and ITV.
“The financial and practical benefits of mediation make it a very convenient process for many.” Says Jeremy Howells, the owner of FMACS. “Unfortunately, it’s still a relatively unknown service, something that we hope the mandatory mediation legislation will change.”
Other services provided by FMACS
There are various facets of counselling and mediation with FMACS also providing support across divorce mediation, child living arrangements, financial mediation, child contact arrangements, help with C100 forms, and more. No two cases are the same and through their diverse service offering, FMACS can always be trusted to deliver a solution that addresses the root of the problem.