Uploaded November 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
BOOK REVIEW
FAMILY MEDIATION
4th edition
By Lisa Parkinson
ISBN 978 1 78473 459 6
LexisNexis/Family Law
lexisnexis.co.uk
IF MEDIATION BECOMES THE NEW JUSTICE SYSTEM... IS IT GOODBYE LAWYERS, HELLO MEDIATORS?’
An appreciation by Elizabeth Robson Taylor MA of Richmond Green Chambers and Phillip Taylor MBE, Head of Chambers, Reviews Editor, “The Barrister” and Mediator
With the clogging up of the courts post-Covid, not in some, but in all jurisdictions in England and Wales, the process of mediation is currently being examined -- or re-examined -- as a relatively timesaving and perhaps less stressful solution to the resolution of disputes. But is it an entirely suitable, or practical means of resolving family disputes?
The answer, somewhat unfortunately, is that there is no final or definitive answer. The decision as to whether mediation presents the best way forward in settling a family dispute hovers between certainty and uncertainty. Fortunately for those requiring a reliable, accurate and insightful assessment of the current issues impacting on family mediation based on diverse experience and copious research, LexisNexis has now published a new fourth edition of ‘Family Mediation’ by Lisa Parkinson -- an expert and indeed celebrated practitioner in this field who is well known for her skill in simplifying complex and perplexing issues in a manner that is both readable and riveting.
As Professor Neil Robinson has pointed out in his foreword to this fourth edition, the government of the UK retains its professed intention to support mediation despite, lamentably, a conspicuous lack of funding. The result is a virtually intractable situation complicated and confounded by the impact of Covid on everything from family finances to mental health.
The book discusses and explains the processes and principles of mediation and how mediation might be judged suitable for families in dispute -- which all too often is no easy task, considering the number and complexity of the variables involved.
It is likely no exaggeration to say that this book covers every pertinent aspect of mediation in all its forms and complexities, from conflict management and assessing suitability through to managing imbalances, dealing with the inevitable deadlocks in some circumstances -- and of course much more. Also note there is a chapter on training and professional development which discusses the question of ‘mediation -- science or art?’
It is not surprising that ‘Family Mediation’ is now in its fourth edition, having established itself as the definitive text on this difficult subject and distinguished by its readability, erudition and certainly ease of navigation via its minutely detailed table of contents (of 27 pages), fourteen-page index, numbered paragraphs throughout and eight appendices featuring key documentation. Also note the bibliography of no less than eighteen pages.
For lawyers with often conflicting views on mediation, this book is a constructive and enlightening read which provides numerous examples throughout which illustrate that, in the final analysis, that mediation needs to be placed within the context of the family justice system.
The publication date of the fourth edition of this paperback is 17th April 2020.
Do visit the publisher's website for their latest editions and new titles.
BOOK REVIEW
FAMILY MEDIATION
4th edition
By Lisa Parkinson
ISBN 978 1 78473 459 6
LexisNexis/Family Law
lexisnexis.co.uk
IF MEDIATION BECOMES THE NEW JUSTICE SYSTEM... IS IT GOODBYE LAWYERS, HELLO MEDIATORS?’
An appreciation by Elizabeth Robson Taylor MA of Richmond Green Chambers and Phillip Taylor MBE, Head of Chambers, Reviews Editor, “The Barrister” and Mediator
With the clogging up of the courts post-Covid, not in some, but in all jurisdictions in England and Wales, the process of mediation is currently being examined -- or re-examined -- as a relatively timesaving and perhaps less stressful solution to the resolution of disputes. But is it an entirely suitable, or practical means of resolving family disputes?
The answer, somewhat unfortunately, is that there is no final or definitive answer. The decision as to whether mediation presents the best way forward in settling a family dispute hovers between certainty and uncertainty. Fortunately for those requiring a reliable, accurate and insightful assessment of the current issues impacting on family mediation based on diverse experience and copious research, LexisNexis has now published a new fourth edition of ‘Family Mediation’ by Lisa Parkinson -- an expert and indeed celebrated practitioner in this field who is well known for her skill in simplifying complex and perplexing issues in a manner that is both readable and riveting.
As Professor Neil Robinson has pointed out in his foreword to this fourth edition, the government of the UK retains its professed intention to support mediation despite, lamentably, a conspicuous lack of funding. The result is a virtually intractable situation complicated and confounded by the impact of Covid on everything from family finances to mental health.
The book discusses and explains the processes and principles of mediation and how mediation might be judged suitable for families in dispute -- which all too often is no easy task, considering the number and complexity of the variables involved.
It is likely no exaggeration to say that this book covers every pertinent aspect of mediation in all its forms and complexities, from conflict management and assessing suitability through to managing imbalances, dealing with the inevitable deadlocks in some circumstances -- and of course much more. Also note there is a chapter on training and professional development which discusses the question of ‘mediation -- science or art?’
It is not surprising that ‘Family Mediation’ is now in its fourth edition, having established itself as the definitive text on this difficult subject and distinguished by its readability, erudition and certainly ease of navigation via its minutely detailed table of contents (of 27 pages), fourteen-page index, numbered paragraphs throughout and eight appendices featuring key documentation. Also note the bibliography of no less than eighteen pages.
For lawyers with often conflicting views on mediation, this book is a constructive and enlightening read which provides numerous examples throughout which illustrate that, in the final analysis, that mediation needs to be placed within the context of the family justice system.
The publication date of the fourth edition of this paperback is 17th April 2020.
Do visit the publisher's website for their latest editions and new titles.
