Lawyer and Family Mediator
Facing a breakup or separation, it is often possible to avoid going straight to a contentious court process. Family mediation is one of these amicable ways of resolving disputes, letting the parties rebuild dialogue and shape their own agreement.
You are not alone in this process. DAF Darmon Avocats Famille, family-law lawyers in Paris, guides and advises you at every stage of mediation: preparing for the sessions, being by your side during discussions, giving the agreement legal security and, if needed, having it approved by a judge.
To review your situation, book a first consultation with a lawyer of the firm, by video call or at our Paris office. Call +33 1 56 68 11 45 or request an appointment online.
Family mediation in Paris: DAF Darmon Avocats Famille by your side
Considering family mediation? It is the route judges encourage most: it protects relationships within the family and, in most cases, allows the parties to reach an agreement without contentious proceedings, more quickly and at lower cost than a trial.
Having a lawyer with you during mediation changes everything: we help you defend your interests and reach a balanced agreement on parental authority, where the children live, child support, or the fate of the family home — then give it full legal effect.
Let's talk about your situation at a first meeting. A lawyer of DAF Darmon Avocats Famille reviews your situation with you and proposes practical, concrete solutions. Meet by video call or in person in Paris: call +33 1 56 68 11 45 or book your slot online.
How does mediation work?
Family mediation can be set up at the judge's request or directly by the parties. It unfolds in several stages (see the official fact sheet "Qu'est-ce que la médiation familiale ?" on service-public.fr — in French).
The 3 stages of family mediation
The first information session
First, the parties are invited to a first information session, where the goals, structure and course of family mediation are explained. It is after this session that the parties decide whether or not they want to go ahead with mediation.
The mediation sessions
If the parties decide to use a family mediator, they attend a series of mediation sessions run by the mediator. Parties may, if they wish, be accompanied by their lawyer.
An agreement, or going to the judge
Ideally, the parties reach an agreement. If so, they may choose to have it approved by a judge. Failing an agreement, the case goes back to the family court judge if the judge ordered the mediation; otherwise, it is up to you to apply to the judge.
Wondering how these stages would apply to your separation? A lawyer of DAF Darmon Avocats Famille can explain, at a first meeting, by video call or in Paris: +33 1 56 68 11 45.
Cost of family mediation: who pays the mediator?
The first information session is free.
For the mediation sessions that follow, they can be funded by the State through legal aid, if you are eligible, where mediation has been ordered by the judge (with the parties' consent).
Where mediation is chosen rather than ordered, however, it is in principle funded by the parties directly. The fee for the sessions is set by the mediator.
You may instead go through the family allowance fund (CAF) using an approved family-mediation association. If so, the fee is set according to your income.
Mediation, negotiation between lawyers, or court proceedings: which to choose?
Facing a family disagreement, there are three routes to resolving it, to combine or prioritise depending on your situation:
| Option | Cost | Timeframe | Binding effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family mediation | 1st information session free, then a fee set by the mediator (or by income through an approved CAF association) | Variable, several sessions a few weeks apart | Not binding until an agreement is signed; enforceable once approved by the judge |
| Negotiation between lawyers | Lawyers' fees, often a fixed fee for an amicable divorce | Fast once an agreement takes shape | Binding once signed; an amicable divorce takes effect when filed with a notary |
| Court proceedings | Lawyers' fees and court costs | The longest: several months, or more if contested | Binding from judgment |
When should you choose each option?
- Dialogue is still possible but you need a neutral third party to restart it: family mediation is the route judges encourage most.
- You already know what you want and are looking for the fastest, most controlled route to settling the consequences: negotiation between lawyers leads directly to an agreement.
- No agreement is possible, or an emergency requires it (violence, a child being taken away): only court proceedings before the family court judge can settle the matter.
The European and international sides of family mediation
Several EU family-law regulations have, since the 2000s, organised cross-border divorce: Council Regulation (EU) 2019/1111 of 25 June 2019, known as "Brussels II ter", applicable since 1 August 2022, sets which court has jurisdiction and ensures decisions are recognised across the EU. For matters concerning children, States cooperate through a central authority, which can help parents turn to mediation.
At international level too, various conventions make international mediation possible. If your situation has a foreign element (residence, nationality, assets abroad), DAF Darmon Avocats Famille can help secure your mediation.
Why us
Your first consultation credited back
if you instruct the firm
At your consultation, a lawyer of DAF Darmon Avocats Famille reviews your case on the merits and on the terms of engagement.
What is a family mediator?
A family mediator is the qualified professional who leads the mediation process. To understand their role and skills, it helps to first look at what family mediation is.
France's National Advisory Council on Family Mediation defines family mediation as "a process of building or rebuilding family ties, focused on the autonomy and responsibility of the people affected by a breakup or separation, in which an impartial, independent, qualified third party with no power to decide helps them communicate and manage their conflict, through confidential meetings" (unofficial translation).
So a family mediator is a neutral professional who seeks to open up dialogue between the parties. They have no power to decide.
Who can practise family mediation?
Given the sensitivity of family matters, the profession has, on top of the usual conditions for mediators, its own specific qualification.
The usual conditions
Not just anyone can be a mediator. Certain conditions must be met:
- be an individual, or a legal entity represented by an individual;
- be independent from the parties, with no ties to them;
- have no criminal conviction, incapacity or disqualification shown on their criminal record (bulletin no. 2 or no. 3, depending on the type of mediation);
- have committed no act contrary to honour, integrity or good morals that led to a disciplinary or administrative sanction;
- have training or experience suited to mediation;
- comply with professional principles such as neutrality, impartiality, independence, competence and confidentiality.
Conditions specific to family mediators
Unlike other mediators, a family mediator can hold a specific qualification: the State Diploma of Family Mediator (Diplôme d'État de médiateur familial), required in particular to work in a service approved by the CAF.
The training combines theory and practice, with a supervised professional placement of at least:
105hours
Supervised professional placement
This qualification certifies the skills needed to work with family members going through a breakup or separation.
How do you request family mediation?
There is a difference between approved and non-approved family mediators.
Approved or non-approved mediation
Approved mediation
For approved family mediation, you can contact your family allowance fund (CAF) directly.
Non-approved mediation
For non-approved family mediation, you can approach a family mediator or a family-mediation association directly.
Sometimes, it is the judge who refers you directly to a mediator.
Need a lawyer to guide you through this process? Contact DAF Darmon Avocats Famille on +33 1 56 68 11 45 or request a first consultation, by video call or at our Paris office.
Family mediation: frequently asked questions
It starts with an information session, then continues through several meetings led by the family mediator, usually a few weeks apart. When ordered by a judge, it runs for a maximum of five months, renewable once for three months. If the parties reach an agreement, they can have it approved by the family court judge; otherwise, the case goes back to the judge if mediation was court-ordered; if not, either party can apply to the judge.
The first information session is free. Later sessions are then paid by the parties: the fee is set freely by a mediator in private practice, or calculated on a sliding scale by income (roughly €2 to €131 per session, per person) when using an association approved by the French family allowance fund (CAF). When mediation is ordered by a judge, it can be covered by legal aid if you are eligible.
Yes. You can be accompanied by your lawyer at mediation sessions. The lawyer helps prepare for the sessions, checks that the agreement is balanced, and gives it full legal effect (an enforceable agreement, approval by the judge).
No. The pilot scheme that required it in certain courts ended on 31 December 2024: no mediation attempt is needed before applying to the family court judge. Once the case is before them, the judge may suggest mediation or order the parents to attend an information meeting with a family mediator, except where violence is alleged or one parent is clearly under the other's control. Failing to attend that meeting without a legitimate reason can lead to a civil fine of up to €10,000; actually entering mediation remains voluntary.
"He has great human qualities, but above all he is a very intelligent, highly knowledgeable advisor."
"Throughout my divorce (1 year) he was available around the clock, evenings, weekends, even during holidays."
"You were there to smooth things over just as much as when we needed to be defended."
"Excellent support despite the distance (Australia/Paris) and the language barrier."
"Maître Darmon is caring and attentive throughout the whole procedure."
"He has great human qualities, but above all he is a very intelligent, highly knowledgeable advisor."
"Throughout my divorce (1 year) he was available around the clock, evenings, weekends, even during holidays."
"You were there to smooth things over just as much as when we needed to be defended."
"Excellent support despite the distance (Australia/Paris) and the language barrier."
"Maître Darmon is caring and attentive throughout the whole procedure."
