Mediation allowed us to negotiate our own resolution so that we could finally put the dispute behind us and get on with the rest of our lives.”
Mr B, Basingstoke
Family mediation helps those involved in a relationship or family breakdown to communicate better with each other and reach their own decisions about some or all of the issues that may arise.
Family mediation is most commonly used to sort out finances, property matters and arrangements for children. Public funding is available for this where appropriate. Mediation can also be used to settle other types of family issues such as disputes between parents and children.
Coming to the right decisions amicably
There is often a lot of distress and anger between you and your partner and mediation can allow matters to be resolved amicably because both of you are equally involved in the decision making. The trained mediator offers a calm, impartial centre and helps you both to limit the conflict so that you can discuss things sensibly and make the right decisions over your own lives. It is a voluntary process and you must both agree on solutions or there is no agreement.
Best for your children
If there are children then we place them at the centre of the discussions - both of you are parents of your children and need to consider their needs and feelings because you will have a continuing relationship and responsibility even after your relationship as a couple has broken down.
It is cheaper
Mediation can be much cheaper than fighting through the courts with individual solicitors as you only need one, sometimes two mediators to help you make informed decisions about your future. The number of sessions will depend on the complexity of the issues.
What happens in mediation?
Quite simply, the parties come together in the same building and have joint meetings with each other and/or private meetings with the mediator. During the confidential sessions your mediator will help you and your former partner to identify all the issues that need to be resolved, discuss the options and reach a settlement that is acceptable to both parties.
We aim to avoid the painful win-lose situation that can occur in litigation, making sure that disputes are resolved in mutually beneficial terms. ‘How do we get out of here’ is the forward looking view at mediation, rather than the backward looking attitude of ‘the other side did this’. It is because you yourselves decide the outcome of your mediation that you can finally put the dispute behind you and get on with your lives.
At the end of the process we will prepare a detailed summary of the proposals reached, which you can then have made into a legally binding agreement or court order.