Mediation agreements yield long-term benefits for divorced families

The follow-up study of mediation participants found that 70 per cent of couples who reached agreement described their relationships as 'friendly' three years later. In contrast, only 44 per cent of those who had failed to reach agreement said they were on friendly terms with their ex-spouse.

The research also discovered that couples who took part in 'all issues' mediation concerned with property and financial matters as well as child care arrangements were less likely to feel continuing bitterness and resentment about their divorce than those whose mediation sessions were solely focused on children.

In addition, they were:

• More likely to feel that mediation had helped them to end the marriage amicably and to reduce conflict with their ex-spouse;
• More content with existing child care arrangements;
• Less likely to have sought help outside the family with children's problems;
• More likely to have reached agreements that survived the test of time without being disputed or changed.

Prof. Janet Walker, Director of the Relate Centre for Family Studies at Newcastle University and co-author of the study, said: "Clients using all-issues mediation were more likely to have reached agreements at the time of their divorce and their arrangements appeared to have survived better than those that were exclusively child-focused.

"Even so, the ability to arrive at an agreement through mediation appears to be more important in leading to positive outcomes than the type of mediation that couples attend. This research shows that reaching an agreement can have a significant impact on the quality of life following a divorce, reducing the acrimony and distress felt by children as well as their parents."

The study also found evidence that reaching a mediation agreement could reduce the legal bills associated with divorce. The highest legal fees were incurred by those who failed to reach any agreement on child support payments.