Interesting read for all those in dispute over maintenance.
It would be great to see some certainty for separating couples in terms of maintenance in the Irish legal system.

For all those getting a Divorce though the Irish courts, one of the biggest problems is there is very little guidance for the judges on what is fair. Problems collecting  maintenance is a issue that is faced by a shockingly high number according to this article. Separation and Divorce is hard, especially when there are children, if this cannot be resolved through Mediation the choices are then limited, stressful, and expensive.

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/we-went-to-court-arguing-over-30-1.4006176

Susan Appelbe is a Mediator and Lawyer working in the area of Separating Couples. Susan works through Mediation with her clients who are seeking Divorce, Judicial Separation and Legal Separation. Susan mediates on all family law issues including maintenance access, guardianship, custody, foster care, adoption and division of assets. Susan is keen on reform in the area of Family Law and dislikes the use of adversarial court proceedings  within a family.Susan works all over Munster, she does a lot of work in the east Cork towns of Middleton and  Youghal and the north Cork towns of Mallow, Charleville, Fermoy, Mitchelstown and Macroom.

This is a great leaflet provided by the Mediator’s Institute of Ireland, with which Susan Appelbe is an accredited Member deals with Agricultural Mediation.

Susan Appelbe is a lawyer who now works solely as a Mediator. Susan is from West Cork and is familiar with the agricultural industry in a legal and personal capacity. Susan works as a Mediator based from Douglas in Cork City, she regularly mediates in all over Cork County and Munster in particular Bandon, Dunmanway,Bantry and Skibbereen.

mediators-farmfamilies_dl_2017 (1)

Now that the referendum is through hopefully big changes are on the way for the legal system when it comes to family law. It is great to see that The Law Society are behind these changes.

Working with separating couples I really see the need for improvement in the court system in this area. My aim with this type of Mediation is to have everything agreed before court so there is nothing that the judge needs to decide. The cost, acrimony and stress of court is huge on people who then have to co-parent with each other after having been opponents in a court battle! The toll is huge on the whole family. Hopefully changes will happen soon.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/legal-body-calls-for-overhaul-of-irelands-divorce-regime-921702.html?fbclid=IwAR0rRwf2247QavDKdkNxX20NDTApDmDRGjfxps-XHfywZPXNepn9kDx46wE

One of the most common questions going through the stress of Divorce is about the division of assets between them and if it is really supposed to be 50;50.

Unfortunately as can be seen from the below article that the division of assets between the spouses on divorce is not clear in law in Ireland. Several factors may be taken into account by the Judge if the dispute is not resolved through mediation or otherwise and makes it to court.

This is an excellent article on the current legal position.

Susan Appelbe is a trained and experienced lawyer who now specialises in Mediation. In particular Susan Mediates with separating couples during the time leading up to Divorce, working out issues such as the division of assets and takes a child centered approach to issues such as custody,guardianship and access to children. Susan works all over Munster and Cork County regularly Mediating in North and East Cork towns of Mallow, Youghal,Charleville, Mitchelstown,Kanturk,Midletown and West Cork towns of Bandon, Clonakilty, Bantry, Dunmanway,Castletownbere and Skibbereen.

Dividing Assets In Divorce: Does Equitable Mean Equal?

Mediation was a talking point at and event organised by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators this week in Cork.

This article in the Cork Examiner has the details

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/business/legal-voices-in-cork-endorse-alternative-dispute-resolution-913373.html

Susan Appelbe is an experienced Mediator. Susan works Nationwide however being a West Cork native and living in Douglas in Cork City much of her work is in the surrounding areas especially the East Cork areas of  Youghal, Midleton and the North Cork areas of Blarney,Charleville, Mallow and Fermoy.