What is Family Mediation?

Family mediation is a service to help married and non-married couples who have decided to separate or divorce, work out what happens after they split up.

It is a process to help you negotiate your own terms of agreement, taking into account the needs and interests of all involved. It is also a service for parents who have never lived together but have a child between them and need to agree parenting arrangements.

The issues discussed depend on the needs and wishes of the separating couple or individuals involved. Mediation assists you in working out mutually acceptable arrangements on issues such as finances; family home; parenting; living arrangements; education; custody; maintenance; assets etc. Mediation can also assist in disputes within families. E.g. siblings and care for elderly parents, mother-in-law/son-in-law, grandparents

How Does Family Mediation Work

Family mediation is a way of resolving disputes which arise before, during or after separation or divorce. Family mediation gives you more say about what happens in your future. With mediation you and the other party make the decisions. If you have children it is less upsetting for them. It can help find ways for everyone involved to communicate better into the future The family mediation process involves the couple working together with the mediator.

There are three stages to Mediation:

• Assessment or Pre-mediation session
• Mediation sessions ( between three to six sessions)
• End of Mediation

This meeting (sometimes called the intake meeting or pre-mediation) is to explain the process of mediation and to give you an opportunity to ask questions. It is also important for the Mediator to assess if the issues are suitable for mediation.

Your Mediator will give you a copy of an Agreement to mediate which you will be asked to sign before mediation starts. The Mediator will meet with both parties separately for this assessment meeting. Each pre-mediation meeting will last about 45 minutes.

Mediation Sessions

At the first session you will discuss the issues you wish to mediate. You are free to discuss any issues that you wish. Common topics which arise in family mediation are:

• Future arrangements for the children.
• Future arrangements for finances which can include the family home and other assets.
• Parenting arrangements or the preparation of a parenting plan with the assistance of the family mediator.
• We can discuss which methods of communication work for you.

Each session following this will be planned to gain the best outcome for both of you. Mediation usually takes between three and six sessions. Each session lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

End of Mediation

At the end of the mediation process you will be given a document setting out your proposals and a copy of your financial disclosure (if relevant). You may then take these to a solicitor to put the proposals into a legal and binding format. You always have the option to return to mediation at any time in the future.