The Madrid Assembly will soon debate a draft bill to regulate family mediation as an alternative to traditional litigation. This law will be the fifth mediation law in Spain ((Cataluña, 2001; Galicia, 2001; Valencia, 2001; Canarias, 2003). Arbitraje y Mediación (ARyME) welcomes the initiative and invites Legislators to lead alternative family dispute resolution and draft a truly outstanding law.

Within a legislative climate favoring ADR in Spain, highlighted by the recent entry into force of Spain's new arbitration law, "Madrid finds itself before a momentous opportunity  to reflect on the essence of what it means to resolve disputes out of court and not stop short at a law focusing solely on mediation procedure and, thus, integrate into this new law the gamut of ADR methods that can be employed to resolve all kinds of family-related disputes", said José Antonio García, Director of ARyME.