Legal aid cuts are having a profound impact on access to justice in the UK, particularly for families navigating separation and divorce. Earlier this year, former Supreme Court President Lord Neuberger warned that these cuts risk undermining fundamental rights and harming those who need legal support the most.
For separating parents, this raises a pressing question: how can you get the help you need without the escalating costs of court? The answer for many lies in family mediation — a practical, supportive and often funded alternative that puts families, not lawyers, at the centre of the process.
What Lord Neuberger Said
In recent commentary covered by The Guardian, Lord Neuberger highlighted growing concerns around the state of the family justice system. With legal aid slashed over the past decade, thousands of people now face complex legal situations without affordable access to expert guidance. He called for urgent attention to ensure that people are not denied their basic rights, particularly in sensitive matters like family breakdown and child arrangements.
For many families, this has meant navigating divorce, co-parenting, and financial settlements alone — often at great emotional and financial cost.
Why Mediation Matters
Family mediation offers an alternative. It allows separating couples to resolve issues together in a calm, structured and supportive environment. At EB & Co. Mediation, we help parents have those difficult conversations in a way that focuses on solutions, not blame.
Mediation is:
- More affordable than going to court
- Quicker and less stressful
- Focused on what works for your family
- Supported by trained, impartial professionals
It also empowers parents to stay in control of the decisions that affect their children, rather than handing that power over to the courts.
Support Through the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme
To make mediation more accessible, the government introduced the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme, which provides up to £500 per family towards the cost of mediation. This scheme is especially valuable in a climate where legal aid is increasingly out of reach.
At EB & Co. Mediation, we are approved to offer this funding and can guide you through the process of applying for it. Many families find they are eligible — even in cases involving child arrangements and ongoing disputes.
Mediation: An Accessible, Human Solution
When it comes to separating well, legal rights and emotional wellbeing go hand in hand. Mediation provides a way forward that respects both. It keeps the focus on what matters — your children, your finances, your future — and it does so in a way that is grounded in respect and empathy.
With in-person sessions across Cambridge, Bishop’s Stortford, Saffron Walden, Haverhill, Braintree and beyond, and remote mediation available throughout the UK, EB & Co. Mediation is here to help you move forward, wherever you are.ken by the mediator remain private. This confidentiality helps build trust and allows you to speak openly about your situation.
Thinking about separation or divorce?
Let’s talk about your options. We offer confidential Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings (MIAMs) and fully remote sessions across the UK.
Get in touch with us to book your appointment.
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