Easing pain of division

We have a duty as lawyers to do the best for our clients, and in the area of family law, mediation is an underused remedy that can avoid the pain and cost of going to court, writes Josepha Madigan

ANYONE who attends Phoenix House in the circuit family law courts in Dublin knows how difficult and how emotionally charged that arena is.

The circumstances whereby litigants find themselves in court, particularly in relation to separation and divorce cases, are traumatic for themselves and their families. The breakdown of trust, relationships, and, for many, the shattering of dreams, leave those involved distressed and vulnerable. Hurt and angry, they also now find themselves having to go through a process that by its nature is adversarial, intrusive, and often confrontational.