Mediation as an alternative dispute resolution in regard to the custody of a child: An analysis of perspectives in Ireland

Abstract

The present study deals with the process that an Irish person has to pass through in a dispute over the custody of a child. The aim of this research is to review how the legal system works in Ireland and analyse under what circumstances the law is applied in specific terms for a mother or a father. To achieve this goal, objectives had been set out to study the legal framework in Ireland in which a mother or father has to comply with to have access to the child. Examine the rights, obligations and responsibilities of the parents in respect to a child, study deeply the procedure of child abduction and analyse how mediation can help a couple after child abduction as an alternative of going to Court. This research locates the scope of dispute over the custody of a child within the context of the existing legislation and the gaps in it. This study is interpretivism and mixed methods are used to gather information from different sources and explore the associated phenomenon by collecting data.