Much research into family mediation has focused on the outcomes of mediation, cost-effectiveness, and client satisfaction. Research into the widespread trends in the practice of mediation has received scant attention and even less well understood is the diversity among practitioners in the mediation community. In the research carried out by Davis et al (Davis et al (eds) Monitoring Publicly Funded Mediation (Legal Services Commission, 2000)) some comparisons of practice styles were made between the not-for-profit (NFP) and for-profit (FP) sectors with regards to s 29 intakes and the mediation process; however, limited cases from the for-profit sector made detailed comparisons difficult. Although examining practice diversity was not the focus of the Davis study, the conclusions are a helpful starting point.

Since the completion of the publicly funded mediation research, some important changes have taken place for the mediation community. These changes have included the extension of public funding for mediation throughout England and Wales, modifications to the funding code, a changing profile of providers, and national standards for practitioners. Some of these changes were likely to have had an effect on the practitioners and practice of mediation.

The research project described in this article was designed to provide some insights into practice, diversity, and the changing environment of mediation in the UK. First, it provided a profile of the diversity of family mediators in the UK and explored the different strategies and interventions mediators say they use. Additionally, because of its fortuitous timing, the results of the questionnaire also provide a snapshot picture of the state of mediation practice at the beginning of the new millennium.