Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings

Before legal proceedings are issued, parties are now required to give careful consideration to mediation and other forms of appropriate dispute resolution. Failure to do so can result in possible court adjournments and can be taken into account in legal costs.  I am certified by the FMCA to sign the necessary court form should you decide that legal proceedings are right for you. Should you initiate court proceedings and then decide that you wish to mediate I am happy to conduct mediations at any stage of the court process - right up to final hearing.  It is always a pleasure for me to assist parties to achieve resolution and avoid the cost, delay and stress of court proceedings, if possible. I am happy to work closely with solicitors, barristers, IFAs, therapists and pension advisors where this would assist.

During our interview I strive to understand the dynamics of the parties and the issues they wish to resolve. I then help parties to decide for themselves the right way forward for them.  The paths available to separating couples are not mutually exclusive and it is possible to mix and match or adopt different resolution processes for as required - see my Options page for further information.  I have experience in all of the available Options.

The MIAM will last at least one hour and we will discuss your situation on a confidential basis.   I will provide information about the options available to you to resolve the issues around your separation and the pros and cons of these options having regard to your circumstances and utilising all my experience as a family lawyer gained over twenty-five years.

Mediation is a voluntary process and can be used for property and finance or children matters or both. It can be utilised in a variety of flexible ways and can include Early Neutral Evaluation (if legal advice would assist) or be part of a Med-Arb process if you need a "Plan B" and require a third party to make a fair binding decision if you are unable to reach agreement yourselves but want to avoid court.  Mediation is not suitable for all cases and part of my remit is to consider whether mediation is the right choice for you and what, if any, safe-guards might be required.  For example, in high conflict cases parties can choose "shuttle" mediation where I see the parties separately or they may wish to have the involvement of their lawyers "hybrid" mediation.  There are numerous styles of mediation from the transformative to the therapeutic to the purely pragmatic. Which is the right one for you?  Let's discuss.

I don't offer legal aid and if you have on a low income and limited assets this might be available to you. To assess you eligibility for legal aid go to: checklegalaid.service.gov.uk

I do belong to the current Voucher Scheme where joint meetings may be funded by the government for up to £500.00

There's a lot to think about. Give me a call on 07960635511 or email me at alexandra@divorceandfamilymediation.co.uk to fix an appointment and I can point you in the right direction.