Working to solve maintenance problems, the Mediation Academy created a free app for parents to efficiently resolve issues that stem from financial agreements.
South Africa – Divorce or separation is never easy, even more so on children caught in the middle. That is why mediation experts, the Mediation Academy, created an app to help parents work through the process efficiently.
They created a free app that accurately assists with gauging how much maintenance the parents are each responsible for.
The maintenance calculator app also allows for third-parties to effectively mediate maintenance disputes between parents. The court can use this information to then easily consider the best option when issuing maintenance orders.
The app makes it so much easier to fill out the maintenance forms. Developers are even encouraging it to be used by maintenance officers to better navigate the sometimes tumultuous behaviour from parental parties.
“Where a maintenance order has been mediated with both parents agreeing on every detail, we find a much higher rate of payment compliance,” said Barry Greyvenstein, the app’s designer.
The app was created for five reasons, according to Barry Greyvenstein; these include:
1. To create a tool where the private sector can help the public sector (though I stress that only Courts get to make the final decisions, we just want to make inputs easier and better). If the courts wish to, they can even use the App.
2. To curb unemployment – especially amongst unemployed graduates in law and social sciences. The only tech you need is a cellphone/tablet/laptop and about 1MB of data per case. Immediate increase in South Africa’s GDP.
3. To create an entry point for disrupting the cycle of conflict between parents. If financial problems are addressed, parents work together better. Maintenance disputes are a golden opportunity for resolving the conflict between parents.
4. To give children better access to the financial resources they need.
5. Maths skills are in short supply.. the app creates a way to bridge this gap and provide opportunities for generating an income to people who can resolve the conflict but don’t enjoy working with Excel or pivot tables.
The App automatically calculates how much of each parent’s income is eligible for maintenance, what the maintenance payments should be, and if the budget is going to be sustainable
“There is a huge need out there, and unless we do something about the problem, it’s not going away on its own. We see a clear opportunity in the market for Attorneys, Mediators, Social Workers and Psychologists to get quicker resolution on cases involving maintenance,” said Greyvenstein.
The company is offering the app for free so that the children are protected and issues can be resolved quickly and effectively.
For more information click here or see more about the app below.
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