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Mediation services

Our Family Mediation Solicitors help separating couples resolve important decisions about children, finances, property and pensions without immediately resorting to court proceedings.

Family mediation provides a calmer, more constructive way to discuss these issues, with the support of an impartial mediator who helps both people focus on practical solutions and the next steps.

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How can we help? Contact us today to discuss your requirements.

Want to speak to us now? Call us on 0330 123 9501.

At Flint Bishop, our accredited Family Mediation Solicitors support separating couples who want to reach agreements in a balanced and respectful setting. Mediation is a voluntary process that helps you discuss the issues arising from separation, whether those involve where your children will live, how parenting time will be shared, or how financial arrangements may be agreed.

We understand that these conversations can feel sensitive, uncertain and difficult to begin. Our role is to create an environment where each person can be heard, options can be explored and informed decisions can be made with confidence. Where appropriate, we can also involve trusted professionals, including financial advisers, accountants and family therapists, to help you better understand the practical implications of any proposals.

With teams of family solicitors in Birmingham, Derby, Leeds, Sheffield, Swansea and York, Flint Bishop supports individuals and families across England and Wales. Our Family Mediation Solicitors offer mediation from our modern, comfortable offices and can also arrange online mediation, providing a flexible option where attending remotely is more suitable.

Whether you are at the start of a separation, already discussing arrangements, or looking for a more constructive way to resolve family matters, our Family Mediation Solicitors will listen carefully, explain your options clearly and help you understand whether mediation is the right approach for your circumstances. Contact Flint Bishop today to speak with our family mediation team.

What are the advantages of family mediation?

  • Mediation is amicable – Many couples who are going through a separation want to maintain a good relationship with each other, especially when children are involved. Family mediation offers an opportunity for separating parents to work together with the help and support of an experienced professional.
  • The discussions in family mediation are without prejudice – This means that should mediation breakdown without an agreement being reached and one party makes an application to court, the discussions that took place in mediation cannot be referred to. This allows the parties to have their discussions and explore their options without anxieties that things they say might be used against them in potential court proceedings.
  • The cost of family mediation – Typically, the costs of mediation are significantly less than pursuing the matter through court proceedings.
  • You are in control – In mediation, you are the one that makes the decision. Mediation allows for those involved to reach an agreement that works for them in their particular circumstances which may not look anything like the decision the court would make. If you apply to court then you are inviting a judge to make the decision. Statistics show that if you are able to reach an agreement together, especially when it is about the arrangements for children, it is more likely to be stuck to without further difficulties down the line.

How does mediation work?

  • Referral: We receive a referral from you or your solicitor. Usually all this contains is names and contact details for you and your ex-partner.
  • Mediation information and assessment meeting (MIAM): We arrange a one-to-one meeting with you and the mediator at a convenient time. This is an opportunity for the mediator to explain more about family mediation, answer any questions you may have and take time to understand your circumstances and the issues you wish to discuss in mediation. For online meetings, we will send you an email invite which contains a link to the meeting.
  • Joint meeting(s): Assuming everyone wishes to proceed with mediation, then a joint meeting will be arranged at a convenient time for everyone. As before, for online mediations an invite to this meeting will be emailed to you and all you will need to do is follow that link to join the meeting. You will then be held in a virtual waiting room until the start of the mediation meeting and the mediator will invite you in.
  • The mediator has the option of having you and your former partner in separate rooms, or in the same room depending on your preferences.
  • The mediator will then help you set an agenda for the meeting and guide you through your discussions. Where the issue is about finances, the mediator would usually help you and your former partner prepare a schedule of your belongings before starting to explore how the assets should be shared.
  • Summary documents: Once an agreement has been reached, the mediator will prepare summary documents for your records and, if necessary, for you to take to your solicitors to help them advise you and prepare documents that will be legally binding, although this only usually necessary when the issues are in relation to financial matters.

Family mediation voucher scheme

The family mediation voucher scheme is a time-limited scheme, set up by the government in response to COVID-19 to support recovery in the family court and to encourage more people to consider mediation as a means of resolving their disputes, where appropriate.

If you think that you could benefit from this scheme and are interested in finding out more information about our mediation services, then please contact our Family Mediator, Richard Buckley.

We have offices in York, Sheffield, Leeds, Derby and Birmingham but act across the UK and can offer online mediations.

We accept referrals from solicitors or individuals. To make a referral or ask us a question about mediation, you can get in touch with our by calling Richard Buckley on 0114 228 3293, or by filling in the enquiry form and letting us know a suitable time to call you back.

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