Family, separation and divorce

Law 1/2008 dated 8 February 2008 is the norm that regulates Family Mediation within the Basque Autonomous Community.

Separation and divorce are family disputes with greatest transcendence in all aspects. In these conflicts the mediation process helps couples in separation or divorce to better communicate among themselves and reach their own joint decisions, based on available information, in relation to issues such as children, the economy or the family patrimony.

For many people it can be difficult to ask for help from a stranger (the mediator) in such personal problems while it is possible that they are facing anger and / or pain, which can cause such anxiety and fear. As a mediator with experience in mediating divorce cases, I am fully aware that these fears are normal and therefore should be treated tactfully and with utmost sensitivity.

When the couple has children, their well-being must be a fundamental pillar in the structure of the mediation process. The consequences of separation and divorce for children does not have to be negative in the long term. What affects most children is the way their parents handle the situation and how they explain the changes. In this respect, the prolongation of the conflict between the parents and the level of tension that the children experience are relevant factors.

When the couple, despite the difficulties of the situation, are able to cooperate with each other to continue exercising their relationship as parents, it greatly facilitates the adjustment of their children to divorce. As a mediator, I can also help parents articulate appropriate options in this regard.

Other family conflicts where mediation is appropriate are the situations when parents do not allow grandparents or other family members to maintain normalized relationships with their children.