Talk, Listen, Change Residents in Mold to benefit from expanded family mediation service

Talk, Listen, Change has announced plans to extend its Family Mediation Services to Mold.

The expansion promises to offer crucial support to hundreds of families navigating the complexities of separation and divorce.

Family mediation serves as a crucial process for separating couples to make arrangements concerning their children and/or shared finances in a secure setting, guided by an impartial professional.

The approach not only avoids the stress and expense of court battles but also ensures discussions about living arrangements, financial disclosures, and division of assets are handled with the utmost care and respect for all involved.

A standout feature of the service is Child Inclusive Mediation, which uniquely allows children a platform to express their views regarding the decisions affecting their lives, following consent from both parents.

The importance of this service is underscored by the significant increase in child attendance, which saw a 13-fold rise in 2023 compared to 2019.

TLC: Talk, Listen, Change, with over four decades of experience in fostering safe, healthy, and happy relationships, has witnessed a remarkable 25.7% increase in referrals from 2022 to 2023.

The charity attributes part of this surge to the post-Christmas period, noting a 203% increase in engagement from December 2022 to January 2023, highlighting the seasonal demand for its services.

Originally established in Manchester in 2015, the service quickly expanded to neighboring areas due to high demand, with the pandemic further broadening its reach across the UK through online services.

The 2024 expansion into Mold is set to open doors for the charity to assist even more families during their most challenging times.

Accessibility remains a cornerstone of TLC’s mission, with Family Mediation available to everyone, regardless of financial situation. Services are offered both privately and through funding options such as Legal Aid and the Government Voucher Scheme.

Remarkably, 78.7% of clients utilised these services free of charge last year, underscoring the charity’s commitment to equal access to high-quality mediation.

The Government Voucher Scheme, offering £500 towards joint mediation sessions discussing children, represents a significant vote of confidence from the Ministry of Justice in non-court resolution methods. Early analysis of the scheme’s impact is promising, with 69% of participants reaching whole or partial agreements outside of court.

Victoria Parkinson, Head of Family Mediation at TLC: Talk, Listen, Change comments:

“Our aim is to ensure that high quality Mediation is available to all. In order to achieve this we have a fantastic and highly trained team, we remain committed to our Legal Aid contact and we are delighted to still offer the Government Voucher Scheme funding.

“Everyone here is very excited for the growth of the department and to support more families. We do what we do because we believe that it is not only a positive step forward during difficult times but also a healthy approach to creating a happier situation.

“This time of year is busy within Family Law, we saw a 203% increase in January 2023 from December 2022. As people reflect on the time they spent with their children last year or consider their financial position they may wish to begin 2024 by exploring the option of Mediation. It is important that people know we are here to resolve disputes in a way that reduces legal costs and is family focused.”