Entry for December 6, 2006

I have returned safe and sound from my trip to the mediation training. If anybody needs me to resolve their problems, I am now very good at nodding sagely and saying "I hear what you're saying...", and "Let's see if I understand you correctly..."
The course was excellent - really well-organised and productive. It does give you a bit of faith that there is a better way to resolve family law disputes other than the old-fashioned way of two clients battling it out through their lawyers. I think most family lawyers that I know have their concerns that the old way does not necessarily reach the most satisfactory results for clients. It can sometimes add to the tensions rather than help the clients through a difficult time.
If I manage to complete the training and get acceditation, then I'll be a member of CALM which is a group of qualified solicitor mediators. The idea is to resolve disputes about separation and children in an amicable way, through discussions rather than through the courts.
It was observed in the training that Family Mediation has never really taken off in Airdrie and Coatbridge. I suspect that many people in the Monklands employ non-court-based dispute resolution systems. It's amazing how the surgical application of a baseball bat resolves many a debate over child support