Information about family mediation

Is Mediation the same as relationship counselling - will the mediator try to get us back together?

No, definitely not. Mediation is the next step people take when they have decided that their marriage or relationship is at an end and they want to sort out all the practical matters which arise on any separation.

Will my partner and I have to sit in the same room together with the mediator?

Usually yes. A major reason why mediation works as a process is because when parties are in the room together they can communicate directly with each other rather than through third party as happens when people use legal services to conclude settlements. This helps to avoid the misunderstanding and distrust between the couple.

We know that meeting face to face can be very difficult for some people and so we can arrange separate waiting areas and different arrival and departure times if required.

Will I get a formal agreement at the end of mediation?

At the end of the process when you have made decisions about a financial settlement/arrangements for the children your Mediator will prepare a mediation summary which will set out in detail the proposals which have been made. Since this itself is not legally binding many people go on to have their financial agreement "rubber stamped" by the court to create a legally binding agreement - their lawyer can do this by a simple and inexpensive postal application to the court.

How much will it cost?

Family Mediation Forum holds a franchise with the Legal Services Commission to offer publicly funded mediation to clients who financially qualify. We will conduct an assessment for public funding at the free initial information meeting. If you are assessed ineligible for public funding (legal aid) we will explain to you at the first (free) information meeting about our scale of private client charges. The benefit of publicly funded mediation is that, unlike legal aid through Solicitors, under no circumstances do the legally aided costs which you incur need to be repaid, nor are there any monthly contributions to pay so that you retain more of your assets.

What do I do to find out more about mediation and to find out if it is right for me?

If you contact the service we will arrange for you to have an initial meeting with a mediator which is free of charge. This meeting lasts for somewhere between half an hour to an hour and is an opportunity for you to hear more about the process and ask any further questions you may have. We know that mediation is a big commitment for clients, both financially and emotionally, so we need to be as sure as possible that mediation is right for them.