THE IN-COURT FAMILY MEDIATION FROM A SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE

It is a well-known fact to social work professionals that a couple's divorce can produce a rupture within the family, one that can lead to social exclusion due to both economic and social factors. Over the last years, in Spain, half the couples that get married end up in divorce, the average duration being of six years. One quarter of divorces take place through litigation, this being one of the lengthiest procedures and the most expensive one, both on an economic and emotional level. This leads us to promote mediation in the judicial context as a complementary instrument to the jurisdictional action that will allow divorced couples to restore communication, reach win-win arrangements, transform their relationships and construct their new life as divorced individuals, especially when there are children involved.