UK government plans mandatory divorce mediation

Under new plans, separating couples in England and Wales will be required to seek mediation before attending court in a bid to ease demand for courts.

Under the plan proposed by the British government, judges will be able to order parents to make reasonable attempts to mediate disputes. If they do not reasonably comply and are deemed to be harming a child’s well-being by prolonging proceedings, they may face a fine.

The planned requirement will only be applied to cases considered to be low-level. Those involving allegations or a history of domestic abuse will not require mandatory mediation. 

Sessions with a qualified mediator would also be part-funded by the government with a voucher worth up to £500.

The country's Ministry of Justice believes that up to 19,000 currently active cases could be solved through mediation.