The Process
The first step is to contact us to arrange an Intake Meeting (also called a ‘Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting’ or 'MIAM'). This is a one-hour, confidential meeting for each person, held separately from each other at this stage. It is for you to find out more about mediation and what would be involved, as well as other non-court dispute resolution (NCDR) options that you may wish to consider. Mediation is a voluntary process – no one can demand it or require it of you – and so it is important that you have all the information you need in order to decide to use mediation. This individual meeting is also for the mediator to hear about your situation, and to assess whether your case is suitable for mediation (as not all cases are), and to signpost you to other sources of support or advice if needed. If you are making an application to court, you will need to have had one of these individual meetings, as the courts believe it is important for you and your family to have considered whether less costly and difficult routes could be used before taking this step.
Intake Meeting (MIAM)
Mediation Sessions
If you and your ex-partner (or other family member involved) wish to mediate, and if the mediator assesses your case as suitable, a date for your first joint Mediation session (usually 1.5 hours) can then be arranged. Most cases need more than one mediation session – it is usual to have two or three, and sometimes people find they need more than this. There is no set timeframe in which Mediation sessions need to happen – this will be directed by your needs and availability, as well as by any legal processes that are underway for you. As mediation is voluntary, if at any point either person feels that they do not wish to continue, mediation can be paused, or indeed ended.
To arrange your Intake Meeting (MIAM), or to ask us more, click on the button to the right to contact us. Alternatively, you can download, complete and return our Client Registration Form here, and we will be in touch.
Where are the sessions held?
Intake Meetings are often held online, but can also be held in-person (in Herefordshire). Mediation sessions can also either be in-person or online. Wherever possible, mediation will mean you meet in the same room, along with the mediator. However, meeting in separate rooms (shuttle mediation) is also possible where required, where the mediator moves between you.
We will talk with you about works best for your situation, and make arrangements accordingly.
What will we receive after mediation?
After each mediation session, the mediator will write a short, confidential summary for you both, which may also indicate any further information that may need gathering before the next session. At some point during the mediation process, the mediator may also ask you each to seek legal advice on any proposals (your ideas or decisions) that you are discussing, so that you can come to the next session prepared.
At the end of the mediation process, the mediator will prepare a Protected Summary of Proposals for you. This standard formal report will set out the proposals you have made together and the rationale for these decisions. If you have discussed finances, the Mediator will also produce an Open Financial Schedule, along with the financial information that you have shared with each other in mediation (your Financial Disclosure). A Parenting Plan can also be drawn up by the Mediator based on your discussions. Any or all of these documents can then be used by your solicitors to draw up the necessary legal agreements or consent orders. This means that your solicitors can include decisions that you have already discussed together and agreed on, which can also save on weeks or months of costly solicitor negotiation and communication.