MEDIATION – A BETTER WAY TO DIVORCE

Abstract

This dissertation queries the importance of mediation for couples who are divorcing and suggests that the advent of divorce had limited legal or behavioural impact in Ireland. It clarifies this limited impact as a matter of delayed timing: divorce became available so late that the de institutionalisation of marriage and the growth of family unsteadiness related to it stood far advanced and were beyond being strongly influenced via a further change in the law. This dissertation points to some implications of this argument for research in other countries, particularly regarding the measurement of trends in mediation outcomes. A substantial amount of academic literature has grown up on whether mediation has helped divorcing couples in Ireland. This research aims to fill some of the gaps in existing knowledge about those who decided to pursue mediation instead of court proceedings. Through the utilisation of data collected, this study explores the implication of divorce in Irish society. This research has meaningful implications for future studies in the field of Irish social policy, as it highlights how the Irish social policy approach to formally divorced couples` dependence through the current legal apparatus of the State.