Mediation

Mediation is part of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) process whereby you can resolve either financial issues or issues regarding your children without the need to go to court, which is both expensive and emotionally damaging, taking many months if not years to complete. Mediators are trained to be independent and work with both parties together to facilitate you to reach an agreement. The parties must come to mediation both wanting to avoid court proceedings, to work together to reach an agreement and the mediator is there to help that to happen. Mediators cannot give legal advice but family lawyers trained as mediators offer an advantage of knowing the law and how court decisions are made so that they can provide legal information to both parties and ensure that any agreement reached would be legally enforceable.

It is advisable that both parties do have the benefit of legal advice through the procedure to make sure that any agreement reached is fair, taking into account the facts of their case. Sharon Blackstone and Wendy Ryle are both Resolution trained mediators and can either advise you through the mediation process while you attend mediation with another mediator (who can be recommended) or they can act as the mediator between you and your spouse or partner.

Mediation takes place over a number of meetings and any agreement reached will be put into a document called a Memorandum of Understanding that can be sent to your lawyers to put into a legal document if that is needed.

For more information about the mediation process, please visit the Resolution website.

If you are separating and think this process would be of interest to you and you would like a free, no obligation chat, please call us on 01737 735077 or email us to arrange a convenient time to talk.