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What to Expect From Family Mediation |
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The decision to separate from your partner is rarely easy, and the process can be incredibly stressful for everyone involved. Traditional court proceedings are adversarial and often exacerbate feelings of strain for everyone.
Family mediation offers an alternative and flexible way to resolve disputes and reach decisions together – for the benefit of the whole family – without having to go to court. Mediation can also help improve post-separation communications, which particularly benefits families with children.
How mediation works
Mediation can be used to achieve solutions which might not be considered in traditional court proceedings but which work for your family. Prioritising children’s needs in this way will help to ensure their future happiness and security once the separation itself is complete and you and your former partner go your separate ways.
Once decisions have been reached, the mediator will prepare a number of documents for the solicitor, who will then attend to any legal formalities.
How to get started
The initial stage is straight-forward and simply requires contacting a mediator to discuss your situation. This is also an opportunity to ask any questions you may have about how things will work and how they can help you and your partner reach a solution.
The mediator will then offer your former partner a similar chance to raise any queries they may have too.
Preliminary sessions will be scheduled with each party individually, before joint sessions are arranged. Everything said in mediation remains completely confidential so that you can both speak freely, without fear of any repercussions in the event that the mediation is not successful.
What to expect from a session
Mediation varies from family to family, depending on what each couple wishes to discuss, but the main issues normally covered include arrangements for your children, sorting out a plan for family finances, and working out the practicalities of life in the future.
Most mediation sessions last between one and two hours, and the majority of cases can be concluded in three to five sessions. This depends largely on how many issues need to resolved, as well as how quickly you come to decisions.
However, there is no limit to the number of mediation sessions. The timescale for mediation is often much quicker and more cost-effective than traditional court proceedings though.
Slater Heelis offer reliable legal advice for families seeking a divorce, working with you every step of the way to take everyone’s best interests into account. Our qualified family lawyers help couples deal with their separation in a practical and sensitive manner to reach an amicable solution that suits the entire family.
Author: Phillip Rhodes, Associate Solicitor Website: www.slaterheelis.co.uk
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