Why choose mediation?

When thinking about the way forward you may wish to consider the many benefits of mediation, namely:

• It helps reduce hostility and improves the chances of long term co-operation.
• The mediation process tends to be less confrontational and less antagonistic
• Mediation concentrates on resolving shared problems rather than emphasising entrenched and polarised positions.
• When related to children - it focuses on the interests of children helping you to recognise and meet their needs as parents even when you are no longer a couple.
• Mediation provides the opportunity for you to work in a positive and constructive way.
• Mediation provides an opportunity to assess whether there is any possibility of a co-operative outcome to your dispute.
• Most clients using mediation to reach agreement have lower legal costs.
• You control the pace and content of mediation rather than lawyers, legislation or the court.
• You can improve communication and look to the future, not the past.
• Mediation is less stressful for you and indirectly, for your children.
• The mediation process tends to be quicker than dealing with disputes through Legal Representatives and the Court process.
• Mediation usually takes place face to face so you hear the other person’s words and are able to speak directly, rather than through letters and solicitors.
• Even if, for one reason or another, mediation does not in your particular case result in an agreement, there will almost always be benefits from having attended mediation.
• Where mediation is not successful, you can return to your solicitor with either partial or complete financial disclosure. This should save your own solicitor a good deal of work which means savings in time and your costs.
• Mediation has been proven to reduce the emotional stress involved in family conflict and relationship breakdown and can save unnecessary legal costs.

The National Audit Office reported that family disputes resolved through mediation are cheaper, quicker and according to academic research, less acrimonious than those settled through the courts.

Other forms of family mediation