Separation can leave you facing difficult decisions about your children, finances, home and future. Family mediation offers a confidential, constructive way to work through those issues without going straight to court, helping you focus on practical arrangements that support you and your family moving forward.
When a relationship breaks down, the conversations that follow can be difficult. Family mediation provides a structured space to discuss the decisions that matter most.
Our family mediator’s approach is sensitive, practical and focused on progress. We will help you identify the issues, understand each other’s priorities and explore possible solutions. Wherever possible, we will help you reduce conflict and work towards arrangements that meet your family’s needs.
Family mediation is a voluntary process where an independent mediator helps people talk through the issues that they need to resolve following separation or divorce. The mediator does not take sides, make decisions or give legal advice. Their role is to guide the conversation, identify the main issues and help both people consider practical solutions.
Mediation can be used before, during or after divorce or separation. It can help resolve a specific issue, such as child arrangements for school holidays, or support wider discussions about day-to-day arrangements for children, finances, pensions, property, businesses and longer-term family arrangements.
For many separating couples, mediation offers a more constructive alternative to contested court proceedings. It can often be arranged and concluded much more quickly than court proceedings, avoiding the lengthy gaps between court hearings, allowing families to make decisions and move forward sooner. It can also be more flexible and more cost-effective, while allowing you to retain greater control over the decisions that affect your family, and help preserve communication where ongoing co-parenting or future contact will remain important.
Family mediation can help you work through the financial consequences of separation or divorce, including:
It can also support discussions about arrangements for children including:
The mediator will first meet with each of you separately and confidentially. This gives you an opportunity to ask questions, understand the process and discuss what you hope to resolve, while allowing the mediator to consider whether mediation is suitable.
If mediation goes ahead, joint sessions are arranged and these can take place in person at one of our offices or remotely.
If finances are part of the discussion, it is important to know that mediation is not a “soft option” or a process in which financial information can be shared selectively. Both participants will usually need to provide full and open financial disclosure, supported by relevant documents, so that discussions and proposals are based on a clear and accurate understanding of the financial position. The mediator will help identify what information may be needed and sharing relevant financial details will help keep the process informed, fair and focused.
We offer an initial complimentary, no-obligation conversation to understand your circumstances, what matters most to you and the support you may need. From the outset, you can expect a calm, approachable environment to help you find the right way forward.
Every family is different, so mediation should be flexible. Sessions may take place online or in person at one of our offices.
Mediation may not be appropriate in every case, for example where there are safeguarding concerns, significant power imbalances or concerns that one person is not being open about their finances. If mediation is not suitable, we can talk through the other options available to you for resolving family law issues.
Each person may take independent legal advice before, during or after mediation. Early advice can help you understand your rights and options; as discussions progress, it can also help you sense-check proposals and ensure any agreement can be made legally binding where appropriate.
If you would like to explore whether family mediation could help you, Joanne Thomas would be pleased to have an initial, confidential conversation about your circumstances and the options available. You can contact Joanne on 01865 562241 / 07905 097075 or email joanne.thomas@howespercival.com.
Discussions and proposals made in mediation are not automatically legally binding. If an agreement is reached, a family solicitor can help turn it into a formal agreement or court order where needed.
In most circumstances, the family court will expect you to have considered mediation before making a court application. This usually involves attending a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting, unless an exemption applies.
No, we offer mediation remotely, so you do not need to live near one of our offices. Online mediation can also be helpful where travelling is difficult or where participants would prefer not to be in the same room. In-person mediation is available at our offices in Oxford, Northampton, Leicester, Milton Keynes, Cambridge, and Norwich. We can talk through the most suitable format for your circumstances in an initial complimentary and no-obligation call.
We would usually hope to conclude mediation within 3 to 5 sessions, although this will depend on the issues to be resolved, how much information needs to be exchanged and the level of disagreement between you. Some issues can be resolved quickly, while more complex matters may require several sessions.
Usually, each person attends mediation without their solicitor but takes independent legal advice alongside it. Some mediators offer hybrid mediation, where solicitors attend some or all sessions. Although we do not offer this type of mediation, collaborative law may suit you if you would prefer your solicitor to attend joint meetings. One of our collaboratively trained family lawyers can guide you through this process without going to court.
If mediation does not resolve all the issues, you can still consider other options, including solicitor negotiations, arbitration, collaborative law or court proceedings. Mediation can still be useful in narrowing the issues, improving understanding and helping you identify the next steps.
The cost will depend on the number of sessions needed, the issues involved and whether any follow-up documentation, such as a parenting agreement or memorandum of understanding, is required. We will explain the costs clearly at the outset so that you know what to expect before proceeding with mediation.
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