The Reform of Family Mediation in Slovenia

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52028/rbadr.v7.i13.ART04.SLO

Keywords:

Mediation in family matters, The reform of family law, Court-affiliated mediation, Mediation at social work centres, Child’s best interest in mediation procedures

Abstract

Slovenian experience with ADR, including mediation, is relatively recent, with the first court affiliated mediation program introduced in 2001 at the District Court in Ljubljana. The formal adoption of various legal instruments, most notably the Act on Mediation in Civil and Commercial Matters in 2008 and the Act on Alternative Dispute Resolution in Judicial Matters in 2010 represented a significant step forward in facilitating a wider access to mediation. However, it was only in 2019 that the new Family Code introduced further reforms of family mediation within the scope of a comprehensive reform of Slovenian family law. Among other notable developments, it newly defined family mediation, provided legal grounds for mediation conducted before and after court proceedings and responsible authorities, determined the rules on appointing mediators, as well as special rules for mediation conducted in family matters, and authorised the ministry responsible for family affairs with several supervisory and organisational tasks. The article analyses the new legal framework for family mediation, comparing it with court-affiliated procedures, and examines its success as demonstrated by the available statistical data.

Author Biographies

Katja Drnovšek, University of Maribor

Is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Maribor (Slovenia) and a head of Department of Basic Legal and Other Sciences. Her main research and teaching areas are Family Law, Succession Law, Legal Philosophy and Theory, and English Legal Terminology.

Suzana Kraljić, University of Maribor

Is a full professor at the University of Maribor, Faculty of Law (Slovenia). She teaches and researches Family law, Medical law, and Succession law. She is head of the Center for Medical law, Faculty of Law, University of Maribor. For the monograph ‘Pravni izzivi skrbništva’ (Legal Challenges of Guardianship), she received an award by the Ministry responsible for family affairs in 2022.

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Published

2025-06-21

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 13 (2025): jan./jun.

Section

Artigos

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