Family Mediation
If you are facing conflicts in your family or relationship, you may turn to family counselling services and ask for family mediation. Family mediation is a voluntary, confidential and free service for: -parents who are considering divorce -parents in the process of getting a divorce -divorced parents who are adapting to the new situation -parents who are thinking about having decisions -concerning their child(ren) revised or amended -parents who have decided to stay together. Family mediators will help your family to find ways to either stay together after a crisis or to separate but continue parenting together. As parents, you are surely worried about the impact of divorce, or the threat of divorce, on your child. Family mediators will support you and help you talk about your child's matters in a constructive manner. When parents divorce, it is important that the child's relationship with both parents is preserved and that everyday life continues regardless of the separation. Mediation also aims to ensure that your child's other important relationships (for example with their grandparents) stay intact and that your child will continue to grow up in a safe environment. Constant arguments and quarrels between the parents are not in the child's best interests. Children can participate in family mediation if the mediators and parents have agreed on this in advance. In family mediation, you can discuss all matters that concern your child and on which you have not been able to agree without outside help. The task of the family mediators is to pay particular attention to safeguarding the child's best interests. Family mediators are not allowed to request information from other authorities before meeting your family. All matters discussed during family mediation are covered by legal provisions on confidentiality. The family mediation provided by Espoo's family counselling services is intended for families who live in Espoo and have children younger than 13. Your family can participate in family mediation on the condition that both parents are present in the meetings. The family mediators will schedule the upcoming meetings with the parents during each visit.