Menu
Family mediation is on a long journey of development in Scotland. Over the years its use and popularity have been on the rise. In more recent years, however, a great deal more noise has been generated and as a result, the Scottish Legal Aid Board and the Scottish Government are looking with a higher degree of interest at encouraging those separating into family mediation rather than towards litigation.
Becoming a family law mediator and joining this exciting movement is not easy. The reason it’s not easy is that family mediators are tasked with a great deal of responsibility in applying their knowledge and experience to help couples and co-parents design a fresh way of life after separation that works for their families in the months and years to come. The skills you learn with us, the information you pick up, the family in CALM Scotland that you will end up being welcomed into, will give you everything you need to begin a career in family mediation or to blend it into your existing family law practice.
Working as a family mediator can be an extremely rewarding, life-changing experience. The training and practice will give you an amazing opportunity to explore the world of family law from a perspective completely different than what you may have been used to in litigation. In this page you will learn the three-stage process of becoming an accredited family law mediator.
Training to become an accredited family law mediator is offered by CALM Scotland in conjunction with Consensus Scotland through a number of individual modules and a final three day core mediation course. All of the modules and the core mediation course have to be completed before you can then apply to the Law Society of Scotland for accreditation. There is a training programme produced every year so please contact us for the most up to date one. The modules are spread throughout each year, but if you miss any of the modules you can ‘collect’ the required modules over a two year period before undertaking the core training which is usually carried out over three days in November or December. The cost of the course will be detailed in the up to date programme.
The modules cover a number of topics including the theory and practice of effective negotiation, adult dynamics and reaction to loss, advanced negotiation, child development, and children’s reaction to separation.
At the end of the core training course, you will be assessed by an experienced mediator and will be advised once the training is completed whether you have passed the assessment.
Once you have completed the training and passed your assessment at core training, you will then require to apply to the Law Society of Scotland for accreditation as a family law mediator. Up to date details on the process and the relevant forms and guidance can be found on the website of the Law Society of Scotland. If you are accredited, this accreditation will last three years, at which point you would need to apply for re-accreditation.
Forming part of the requirements for accreditation, you will need to show that you have relevant experience in family law (which would include the training you go through as above together with any publications, seminars, and work carried out the profession, as well as references and your discipline and claims record).
After you have been accredited by the Law Society of Scotland, you can then apply for membership of CALM Scotland. We offer our members quality mediation training which allows you to maintain your accreditation as is required by the Law Society of Scotland. The annual requirement for continuing professional development to maintain your accreditation is fifteen hours of mediation and family law training, of which there must be at least six hours of mediation training and five hours of family law training (two of which should be on financial provision). There should also be one peer-review of your skills in co-mediation with an experienced mediator, and an assessment of competence once every three years by an approved assessor.
The training offered is by way of three national training sessions each year, all of which are held usually in Perth, but local mediation pods have been set up around Scotland which meet throughout the year and offer more intimate training sessions.
We also support our members in their mediation practice and seek to promote CALM Scotland, its members and mediation to the courts, the Scottish Legal Aid Board and Scottish Government, and to other solicitors and the general public. Amongst other things, membership entitles you to have your details on this website.
After you have been accredited by the Law Society of Scotland, you can then apply for membership of CALM Scotland. We offer our members quality mediation training which allows you to maintain your accreditation as is required by the Law Society of Scotland. The annual requirement for continuing professional development to maintain your accreditation is fifteen hours of mediation and family law training, of which there must be at least six hours of mediation training and five hours of family law training (two of which should be on financial provision). There should also be one peer-review of your skills in co-mediation with an experienced mediator, and an assessment of competence once every three years by an approved assessor.
The training offered is by way of three national training sessions each year, all of which are held usually in Perth, but local mediation pods have been set up around Scotland which meet throughout the year and offer more intimate training sessions.
We also support our members in their mediation practice and seek to promote CALM Scotland, its members and mediation to the courts, the Scottish Legal Aid Board and Scottish Government, and to other solicitors and the general public. Amongst other things, membership entitles you to have your details on this website.
