Family mediation across borders bridges divides and nurtures understanding
We aim to prevent cross-border family conflicts from escalating and to empower families to resolve them amicably and foster children’s wellbeing. We do this by offering access to certified mediators who are trained in dealing with transnational family issues.
What is mediation?
Family mediation is a confidential, structured process in which parents voluntarily take part. Our skilled mediators act as an impartial third party who can facilitate the communication between parents, fostering trust and understanding while navigating diverse legal systems and cultural sensitivities. It’s a constructive and tailored approach that empowers families to shape their own solutions.
How does it work?
Find a mediator
On this website you can search our database of certified family mediators trained to mediate in cross border contexts, by country, language, other occupation (lawyer, psychologist, etc.) or specialisation.
Intake
Once you have contacted a mediator, they will invite you and the other parent for an intake session to explain the process, determine whether the conflict can be mediated and whether they can act as a mediator for it.
Cross border family mediation
Every mediation is different. The cross border family mediation model proposes two co-mediators, a lawyer and a psychologist, representing the different nationalities of the parents, and of different genders. The mediation can take place online to facilitate the cross border aspect, or one can choose for a pressure-cooker model where one parent travels to the other parent and the mediation takes place over a short period of a few days. Ultimately each family chooses the model and mediator(s) that suit their situation best. We are here to provide you with the people that can do the job.
Getting your mediated agreement recognised
After a successful mediation, the mediator will help draft an agreement and will support parents in getting the agreement recognised in both countries.
When to use mediation?
Mediation can provide faster, more cost-effective, and more sustainable solutions for any type of conflict a transnational family may be dealing with:
When your multinational family is experiencing a conflict or divorce
When you want to move abroad with your child
When your (former) partner wants to move abroad with your child
When you fear an abduction by the other parent
When the other parent or guardian has abducted your child
Find a mediator
Search for the right professional to initiate the mediation process
Certification and training for mediators
Our network reviews whether mediators have the required basic training as a mediator, as a family mediator, and as a mediator in cross-border family issues, and offers certification.
We organise further training to equip mediators to deal with cross-border family conflicts in the interest of and involving the child, and to tackle emerging issues.
We also offer interventions and workshops with other professionals involved in international child abductions. While our certification differentiates between basic membership and full membership which means the mediator has shown proof of ongoing training within our network, all mediators on our list have the skills required to mediate in international family conflicts.