From April 2011, all potential applicants for a court order in contact applications, with limited exceptions, will be expected, before making their application, to consider with a mediator whether the dispute may be capable of being resolved through mediation. The court will also expect any respondent to have attended a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting, if invited to do so.
If court proceedings are taken, the court will wish to know at the first hearing whether mediation has been considered by the parties and may refer them to a meeting with a mediator before allowing the proceedings to continue
