Divorce mediation
Our experienced mediators can help you reach an agreement with your former partner on issues surrounding divorce, separation, children and finances.
Mediation in a divorce
Working with a mediator, for many married couples, helps to promote an amicable end to the relationship. At Tees the family law department includes people who are both experienced mediators and also highly qualified and experienced solicitors. Read our divorce mediation guide here.
What are the benefits of mediation?
There are four main benefits:
- it can help to keep things amicable; this not always the case, but the process of mediation focuses on good communication and understanding from both sides and that can support a more amicable solution being achieved.
- final decisions are made by you rather than for you. If you go to court to sort out your issues a judge will make the decisions, which will then be imposed, whether you like them or not.
- you have more control so you can decide what’s important and what needs to be discussed with solicitors. The deadlines and timetables are also completely defined by you, giving you a more flexible approach.
- It’s often faster and cheaper than other options. Resolving matters through the courts or solicitors can take months, whereas mediation can take weeks.
Issues that can be covered in a divorce mediation include:
- child maintenance payments
- child custody
- property and possessions
- financial settlements.
If you are not married, or you have a dispute within the wider family, our mediators also offer family mediation.
We’re here to help
If you want to find out more about how a mediator may be able to help, please give us a call. Our mediators are based in:
- Cambridgeshire: Cambridge
- Essex: Brentwood, Chelmsford, and Saffron Walden
- Hertfordshire: Bishop's Stortford and Royston
Family mediation FAQs
Mediation is when an independent and professionally trained mediator helps you work out an agreement with your former partner about issues such as:
- Childcare arrangements
- Finances- including pensions, dividing your assets and financial support
- Houses and property – such as your family home, or buy to let investments
In the first session known as a MIAM (Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting) you will have an opportunity to meet the mediator individually and the process will be explained to you. After you have both attended an individual meeting, there will be a first joint meeting with the mediator. They will then get you and your partner to talk in a constructive way, and encourage you to start looking at options and ideas. In this way they are often able to help you find a workable solution, and one that can become part of a legal document.
A mediator's role is not to advise the parties, and you may benefit from independent legal advice alongside mediation.
