RESOLUTION OF FAMILY DISPUTES THROUGH MEDIATION: LEGAL SIGNIFICANCE AND RELEVANCE OF MANDATORY MEDIATION IN DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS

The family serves as the fundamental pillar of society. It is within the family that an individual matures, socializes, and develops personal values and a worldview. For this reason, the family constitutes a crucial institution for both the state and society. Currently, the divorce rate in our country has increased markedly. Notably, in January–June 2026, 24.8 thousand divorces were recorded, with a divorce rate of 1.3 per 1,000 population [1]. The growing caseload on courts handling family disputes, adversarial tensions and mutual intransigence between parties during litigation, and the resulting harm to children's interests increasingly heighten the need for fast, cost-effective, and humane dispute resolution mechanisms. From this perspective, the role of mediation in family disputes and its introduction on a mandatory basis acquire substantial theoretical and practical relevance.