Försonande dialog: Främjande av samförståndslösningar mellan föräldrar genom informationssamtal

Sammanfattning: This essay deals with consensual solutions between parents in custody cases with focus on what can be described as obligatory information meetings (in Swedish called informationssamtal). The purpose of these meetings is in the sake of the child and their best interests, to try and increase the chances of finding the least taxing way forward for the whole family. The act (2021:530) on information meetings (lagen 2021:530 om informationssamtal) was introduced on 1 January 2022 but as of 1 March 2022 any parent who wishes to initiate court proceedings regarding a disputed claim in a custody case must first have taken part in an information meeting with the municipality. Swedish family law is based off the theory that cooperation between is parents generally is what can and should be considered as “the best for their joint children”. To make the parents cooperate should be the goal for legal practitioners working with these families, according to swedish legal custom. As a result of this, in order to strengthen the child rights perspective in the custody process, a series of legal changes were implemented in the area of family law in 2021. The overall purpose of the act on information meetings is, by providing disputing parents with relevant information, one can contribute to the parents jointly rethinking and choosing to try to use consensual solutions to resolve the conflict between them and avoid going to court. The aim of the informational meetings is to inform the parents about the possibilities for finding consensual solutions in matters of custody, residence and access. The meetings should be held jointly with the parents during at their municipality's social welfare board. Individual meetings may be held if special circumstances exist (for example if violence or other types of abuse are suspected). In the case of a special circumstances, according to 16 kap. 17 c 2 FB, a claim can still be taken up for consideration by the court even if neither of the parents have participated in an informational meeting on beforehand. To give the essay a wider perspective, it includes an interview with the social welfare boards in Malmö and Lund regarding their experiences of the new law.