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James Debono
220 couples whose marriage was on the rocks after entering separation proceedings are now back together, thanks to the mediation system introduced three years ago with the aim of avoiding legal litigation and encourage reconciliation when possible.
It means that 12 per cent of all personal separations initiated in the Family Court since January 2004 have ended with the reconciliation of the estranged spouses.
In the first nine months of 2006, 72 couples were reconciled following mediation. The year before, 111 separation cases ended in reconciliation, a sharp increase from 2004 when only 34 cases ended in reconciliation.
Parliamentary Secretary Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, the architect of the legal reform which introduced mediation services in Malta, is moderately satisfied by these results: “There is room for improvement but overall the system has offered estranged couples the opportunity of having someone who listens to them before taking their case to court.”
According to Mifsud Bonnici the figure of 220 reconciliation does not reflect the full picture as it does not include a significant number of couples who simply drop separation procedures and do not proceed with the mediation.
He also specified that mediation services are not only aimed at helping separating couples, but also at cohabiting partners seeking agreement on the separation of goods and the custody of children.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
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