Legal Aid Cuts

The new Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act, came into force in April 2013. The new act removes legal aid funding from most private family law such as divorce and child custody battles. This means that many people will have to pay privately for legal representation, or represent themselves in court.
Mediation is an alternative to court that allows parents to control the cost of mediation, the time it takes and the decisions.  The success of mediation is largely attributed to the fact that decisions are made by the parents, and not by the court.