Latest news

Child Support Agency Change - 28/01/12

The government and government agencies support the use of Mediation to resolve all sorts of disputes.

The latest announcement is that there are plans to scrap the CSA and replace with a service which would make mothers pay to have fathers tracked down and maintenance payments enforced.

This is intendeded to encourage parents to discuss provisions for children after separation or divorce. Family Mediation, as offered by Glasgow Independent Mediation, can of course help here.

Public Sector Workers Strike - 30/11/11

It is estimated that around 300,000 Scots took part in this strike today. In Glasgow alone 10,000 people took part in marches and rallies to protest against public sector pension changes. On the other hand, many public sector workers were not in favour of strike action.

The publicity around the strike has stimulated debate and research into the pension prospects of both the public and private sectors. Educated debate is to be encouraged. It seems that because of the media coverage of both sides of the debate, people are becoming more aware that this is a very complicated issue; that fairness to everyone is difficult to achieve; that the money must come from somewhere.

There are parallels here with a Mediation procedure. This opening out of a debate with each side educting the other and each side becoming more aware of the other's point of view is something which is promoted by Mediators. Thus each party involved in a Mediation gradually realised that there is reason behind the other's arguments. From this realisation, dicussion and negotiation can evolve and thereafter agreement can be reached.