Fewer contested divorces through mediation

Custodial battles are especially unpleasant for children to experience. Fortunately, the number of contested divorces has decreased due to the increased attention for mediation. Should mediation be made mandatory for families with children?

Numbers

According to figures from the Ministry of Security and Justice, the number of 'conflictual divorces' has been decreasing in recent years. Between 2012 and 2014, the number of contested divorces fell from 6,000 to 4,900 per year. A decrease that is mainly due to the use of mediation as a means to settle divorces, says Marjoleine de Boorder, lawyer and partner at De Boorder Schoots Advocaten. "The government policy, which means that judges and lawyers are increasingly better trained in the field of mediation and increasingly opt for a practical rather than a legal approach, seems to be paying off."