Naas woman nominated for Mum of the Year Award
Michelle Browne pictured at the Woman’s Way and Beko Mum of the Year Awards 2 Photo: Andres Poveda
A single mother from Naas who is a nominee in this year’s Mam of the Year Awards held this week in Dublin by Women’s Way.
Michelle Browne who, earlier this year, published a guide to splitting up was beaten to the top of the podium by a strong and varied field of contenders.
After weathering the storm of two divorces, and seeing the impact on her three children, Michelle Browne felt passionately that the system could be better and vowed to try and change it.
A qualified mediator, she published part memoir, part how-to guide for this increasingly common process in March.
“Our generation is the first through the divorce court en masse, and we have yet to see the long-term effect on our children,” she said.
“People forget that this process is backed by the Family Mediation Act 2017, which allows for legally binding separation agreements to be drawn up without going to court,” she pointed out. “So what I and other mediators are trying to do is make separation easier without the acrimony."
After beginning a law degree and going through two divorces, Michelle has a Masters in Family Mediation from NUIM, and runs a mediation service “right next to the Courthouse” at 17 South Main Street, Naas.
