Mediation ‘could halve cost of divorce’

Divorcing couples could save more than half their legal costs by going through mediation rather than the courts, according to a family law expert.

Some 90% of divorce and separation cases in Ireland are already decided not by the presiding judge but by the parties involved, proving that most could be resolved without ever going to court. This would save the separating couple emotional distress and most of their costs, argues the author of a book launched last night.

Josepha Madigan, the author of Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR) In Ireland said alternative or appropriate dispute resolution mechanisms such as mediation or collaborative law could, in almost all cases, produce a resolution that was quicker, less distressing for the parties and their families, and could save up to 60% on the cost of the court process.