How does mediation work?

  • Each client has an assessment for suitability for mediation on a one-to-one basis with the Mediator
  • If the client is willing to mediate after the assessment, he/she signs an ‘agreement to mediate’ which sets out the boundaries of the relationship between the Mediators and the participants, their duties to each other and what they can expect from each other
  • In the first session the Mediator will identify the issues, gather the necessary information and then try to facilitate the clients to come to agreed proposals to resolve their issues
  • Once clients have agreed upon proposals the Mediator prepares any financial summary that may be needed and draws up the proposals in a separate document
  • Normally the clients take the documents which the Mediator has prepared to a solicitor so that they can be drawn up into a draft consent order of the Court or a formal agreement to ratify what has been proposed