Inequality in Divorce Mediation—Reasons, Manifestations and Ways to Avoid it. Lessons for Lithuania Cover Image

Nelygybė skyrybų mediacijoje – priežastys, raiška ir būdai jos išvengti. Pamokos Lietuvai
Inequality in Divorce Mediation—Reasons, Manifestations and Ways to Avoid it. Lessons for Lithuania

Author(s): Renata Mienkowska-Norkienė
Subject(s): Social Sciences
Published by: Mykolas Romeris University
Keywords: Divorce mediation; domestic violence; unequal bargaining power; imbalance of powers in a divorce situation; child custody

Summary/Abstract: Lithuania is one of those EU countries in which the divorce rate is the highest. Furthermore, large-scale emigration led to the dissolution of many families and made divorces more problematic due to their international aspect. Taking into consideration the psychological aspects of a divorce, it is necessary to make it as little painful as possible, particularly for children. All this reflects the need for divorce mediation—reducing the negative consequences of divorce. However, divorce mediation may cause certain inequalities between men and women and therefore it is necessary to create proper conditions of conducting divorce mediation in order to avoid them. The article analyses some aspects of inequality between women and men in divorce mediation: main reasons for inequalities, the way situation of women and men in marital conflicts influences divorce mediation, role of mediator in suppressing inequalities between the parties. The article underlines necessity of implementation of divorce mediation in Lithuania under a few conditions: proper trainings for mediators in order to provide them with necessary skills to diagnose and suppress inequalities as well as proper inclusion of child welfare into mediation.

  • Issue Year: 11/2012
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 119-130
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: English