Impacto da mediação familiar em Portugal. Pressupostos e avaliação

Evaluation is an essential tool if the aim is to understand whether there has been progress (and what kind of progress) in the implementation of a particular programme, policy and/or project. In the case of family mediation, this is even more pertinent, not only because of the relevance it could have in the Portuguese judicial system, but also because of the effects it has on the lives of the individuals involved, adults, but especially children. The paper presents some important facts for understanding and contextualizing the path that family mediation has taken in Portugal. These facts will set the tone and support the definition of evaluation indicators and the construction of the impact evaluation model that is proposed. Family mediation has gained a lot of prominence in the context of Alternative Means of Dispute Resolution, and it is therefore very important to effectively understand the impact and different dimensions of this AMDR.