The reasons for the lack of availability of training for family mediation are twofold.

First, national standards must be agreed and a system established to control them before there is a widespread increase in training.

Secondly, there must be a realistic prospect of client demand for mediation to ensure that, once trained, mediators can learn the job in the real world.In order to develop agreed and controlled national standards the three main mediation bodies in the UK -- National Family Mediation, the Family Mediators Association and Family Mediation Scotland -- are forming the UK College of Family Mediators.

The plan is to launch this body early next year.

Discussions about the form of the college are at an advanced stage and a set of national standards are in the process of being agreed, prior to consultation with members of the three bodies and the briefing of other bodies.

None of the three mediation bodies is prepared to train more mediators than they can professionally support by means of supervised practice following training.

To ensure that once trained, mediators have opportunities for practical experience, all three bodies are c oncerned that the supply of mediators does not seriously outstrip the supply of clients.

In many countries mediators abound and while they have access to short role-playing training they have had few or no clients.

If this is allowed to occur here mediators will become frustrated and the standards of the new profession could suffer.

With a projected increase in the demand for mediators, there must be enough trained and competent mediators available in the right places.

This is not, however, simply a matter of hurriedly training more applicants.

Many experienced mediators could do more work and are waiting for a divorce culture and a funding structure to make this possible.

Planning is required to know how many more mediators are needed and in which places taking into account local communities and court areas.

It is to be hoped that the pilot mentioned in the government's divorce white paper will be designed to yield specific information to facilitate a properly planned expansion.In the UK we have an opportunity, with the prospect of a three-year phasing in of a new divorce law, to get the balance right between demand and supply.

This will not be an easy task, but it is worth trying to avoid any drop in standards.

The message of the three bodies forming the college therefore is to ask lawyers and other potential mediators to be patient and to accord us respect, time and a chance to sort out the ground rules for the future.

The purpose of setting up a professional body, the college, is to aim at high standards in a new profession in a planned way.

-- National Family Mediation services began in 1978 and now comprises 64 services throughout the country, all charities.

The FMA began in 1989 and established a mediation model which involved an experienced family lawyer paired with an experienced social worker or therapist.

The mediation offered was comprehensive, covering all aspects of the separating couple's affairs.

In 1990, NFM began recruiting lawyers into a successful research project providing comprehensive mediation.

Lawyers now make up 50% of the entry to NFM training courses each year.