Newcastle’s Top Divorce and Family Law Specialists, Major Family Law comment on an article in the Journal: A group of seven leading North East divorce and family law specialists are today launching an innovative new service for separating couples who cannot afford to pay two lawyers to do everything for them.

By combining fixed fee legal advice with family mediation, separating families will finally have an affordable alternative. The service is launched at a time when more and more people are representing themselves at court following the withdrawal last year of Legal Aid for most family law cases.

In response, the seven law firms listed below – as well as leading regional mediation provider Family Mediation Northeast – are joining a national pilot of a new approach of Lawyer-Supported Mediation.

Lawyer-Supported Mediation makes available divorce lawyers on fixed fee terms when the separating couple is willing to explore reaching agreement at family mediation.

Trained mediator and founder of LawyerSupportedMediation.com, Marc Lopatin explains: “We dramatically reduce the cost of accessing legal experts by fusing their advice with family mediation, where separating couples can resolve their differences. We know from government data that two-thirds of people who begin mediation go on to reach agreement, so we need to find new ways of encouraging more people to try.

The service will make its UK debut in the Newcastle area this week with additional hubs launching shortly in Leeds, Manchester and London.

The northeast hub is being led by regional specialist Major Family Law who will act as part of a carefully selected panel of family law experts from across the region to provide couples with a new method of resolving their differences in a cost effective manner.

The following businesses comprise of the northeast Lawyer-Supported Mediation hub:

• Major Family Law
• Sintons
• Beecham Peacock LLP
• Carr & Co Solicitors
• McKeag and Co
• Hindle Campbell
• Hay & Kilner
• Family Mediation Northeast

For a free estimate – including a fixed legal fee – call 033 0223 1188 or visit www.lawyersupportedmediation.com

For more information see the article in the Journal online