MEDIATION & dispute resolution

About MEDIATION

When to use Mediation?

You can use mediation at any stage of a dispute.

Separating couples. You can use mediation during a divorce or separation to help you address questions such as: What to do about finances? Where are the children going to live? How are we to divide our assets? You can choose to mediate on a specific part of your dispute - for example, child arrangements - or can address everything at the same time.
Inheritance disputes. Mediation provides dispute resolution where a will has caused breakdown in relations within a family and between beneficiaries of a will.
Neighbourhood disputes. Untended hedges, inconsiderate car parking, noise, contested boundaries can all lead to conflict with your neighbours. A skilled mediator can work with you to resolve such issues.
Grandparents denied access to grandchildren. Mediation to request access to grandchildren is a much less stressful and successful strategy than trying to argue it through the courts.
And many other situations where you have reached an impasse will benefit from the help of a mediator.

Why use Mediation?

It is not adversarial. The process is not about winners or losers: you are working towards the best and fairest outcome for all concerned. You are more likely to preserve some form of functioning relationship by using mediation.
Mediated agreements are more likely to work. Agreements are made between and by the people involved. No one imposes a judgement on you or tells you what to do. In owning your own agreement, you adhere to it.
It will save you money. While you may need to seek legal advice during the process, mediation is much cheaper than going to court or using arbitration.
It will save you time. Mediation is quicker than the standard legal process; you are less likely to have to wait for your first appointment and will avoid court and waiting for court dates.

What is Mediation?

Mediation offers a constructive way to manage and to resolve conflict. As a mediator, I am a neutral, third party who helps both parties to focus their energy on working out practical solutions to a problematic situation, as opposed to continuing to fight. I know how difficult this can be and am trained to manage and support you both while remaining completely impartial. A mediated agreement aims to provide the best possible outcome for ALL concerned. I just help you to negotiate that settlement. The process is strictly confidential and without prejudice which means that anything agreed in the mediation is not legally binding until you make it so.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

OUTCOMES OF MEDIATION

Depending on the complexity of the situation you may need between one and four sessions. Some people need more, some fewer.

After each session, you will receive a record of the session outcome. This is so that, if you wish, you may seek legal or financial advice on the points that were discussed. That way, you can ensure that any choices you go on to make are fully informed. And your next session, if one is needed, will start from a place of clarity. I shall also produce an Open Financial Statement for mediations that involve Finance and Property.

Once an agreement is secured between both parties, I formally record it and make it available to you. You can then choose to have this made legally binding. Unless you do not wish me to, I will also keep a record of your agreement on file.

ABOUT ME

Location & Fees

LOCATION

I work from the Nadder Centre in Tisbury, The Exchange in Sturminster Newton and the Wincombe Centre in Shaftesbury and for Salisbury Family Mediation in Salisbury.

FEES

Each person attends their own Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM). This one-on-one session gives each party in the dispute an opportunity to privately discuss how mediation works, and to ask me as many questions as they need. It also enables me to determine whether the particular case is suitable for mediation. Each of these meetings lasts up to an hour and they cost £52.50.

Thereafter, both parties are invited to a joint mediation session, which lasts up to two hours and costs £125 per person. Cases that involve finance and property cost £150 each.

My Experience

I am a member of the College of Mediators and of the Family Mediation Council, and have been practising as a Community Mediator for over two years. I gained a further qualification in 2018 as a Family Mediator. My ongoing work at Citizens Advice means I also understand the complexities of the welfare state, and how this works in relation to relationship and housing issues. Prior to this, I worked in a variety of small businesses in London, Dorset and Somerset while bringing up my family. I hold a philosophy degree from Bristol University.