Goals

• The main goal of the Project is to reform the structure and organization of the judicial system in the field of family justice through the development of a family mediation procedure with a focus on the best interests of the child.
• To achieve the main goal, the following sub-goals are defined:
• conducting an in-depth analysis of parental disputes in connection with parental rights, raising children, maintenance, etc .;
• analysis of the best world practices in the field of family disputes concerning children and preparation of a proposal for their implementation as part of the judicial reform;
• increasing the knowledge of mediation and the practical skills for reaching decisions in view of the best interests of the child, both of the general public and the participants in the judiciary;
• unloading the judiciary from litigation related to the manner of exercising parental rights;
• training of mediators, judges and lawyers on the specifics of working with children in conflict of parental dispute;
• the imposition of a new structure, relying on the empowerment of citizens and their stimulation to refer disputes related to children, primarily to mediation.

Activities

To achieve the set goals, the following activities are planned:

• Analysis of the problems in the judicial settlement of parental disputes and the available good practices;
• Development of a unified methodology for the method of examination and assessment of the best interest of children;
• Development of a system of training / information sessions for parents on the effect that a highly competitive litigation has on children
• Training of judges, mediators and lawyers on the specifics of working with children and presentation of the model
• Piloting of the developed information sessions in the Sofia District Court and analysis of the information collected by it.

Expected results

• change of the organization of the manner of conducting the cases for exercising parental rights;
• increasing the percentage of out-of-court agreements, which is a form of civil control over the functioning of the judiciary;
• unloading the judiciary from some of its most emotionally charged and socially / socially responsible cases with increased efficiency of the institutions of the judiciary.

The project will be implemented by a team of proven professionals from professional and non-governmental organizations working in the field of mediation and juvenile justice, as well as parent associations, under the leadership of the Professional Association of Mediators in Bulgaria. The project partners are the National Network for Children, the For Our Children Foundation, the Parents Association and the Institute for Social Activities and Practices.

Where it is performed: the city of Sofia

Deadline: December 2018 – June 2020

Funding party: Operational Program “Good Governance” 2014-2020