NCJ Number
130641
Journal
Mediation Quarterly Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: (Summer 1991) Pages: 305-323
Date Published
1991
Length
19 pages
Annotation
Data collected from observations of nearly 1,400 families in Britain as they pursued suitable agreements and child custody arrangements following divorce or separation were used to analyze the various mediation services available in the country. Mediation services were primarily classified as being independent or court-based and secondarily on the degree of control exercised by State authorities.
Abstract
The four categories used in this analysis were court-based services where: a judge is present with a court welfare officer at the mediation appointments (Category A); court-based services where mediation is facilitated only by the court welfare officer (Category B); independent schemes with some connection to probation services (Category C); and independent services with no probation involvement (Category D). The types of services were evaluated in terms of agreement rates, client satisfaction, helpfulness of mediators, achievement of aims, improvement in communication, and psychological impact. The results indicate that there were few significant differences between Categories B, C, and D; most clients were able to reach agreements with reasonable degrees of satisfaction and would recommend mediation to others. There was no indication that mediation improved communication or led to friendlier relations between the parties. Category A mediation tended to be the least successful on all measures of effectiveness. The authors recommend the establishment of a national mediation service located away from the courts but within an institutional framework, with a broad mandate to provide a range of services. 2 tables, 2 figures, and 28 references (Author abstract modified)