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Family law may be in need of reform, but Sir Paul Coleridge's proposals will not be achieved without the political will to do so, and will in any event take years.

Far more achievable will be the growth of family mediation, which already helps tens of thousands of people each year to achieve agreements swiftly and cost effectively, even in difficult and complex cases. Many very experienced family lawyers have made the effort to train as mediators and are already able to provide the service that Sir Paul calls for.

Real change in the family law system could be achieved at a stroke and at no cost at all if the family courts simply rigorously enforced FPR practice direction 3A which requires each party to lodge a correctly completed form FM1 before a financial or child application is issued (ie by requiring the parties to find about about mediation first).