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What are the benefits of Mediation?
There are three main benefits if couples can resolve their differences with Mediation:
Cost
If you qualify for Mediation Legal Aid there will be no cost to you for the Mediation, and your solicitor's charges for advising you alongside the Mediation process, are also not charged to you in relation to any matters which are agreed as a result of the Mediation, thus resulting in substantial savings. The legal support provided by your solicitor, while taking part in the Mediation process, may be subject to the Statutory Charge, and your solicitor will explain this to you further.
If matters proceed through the Courts the cost of a case concerning the residence of, or contact to, a child can be typically between £1,000 to £4,000 per person. Cases involving the resolution of financial matters can cost typically £3,000 to £6,000 per person. The cost of a Mediation ranges from on average £300 to £1,000 per person, which is fully paid by the legal aid board for any person who is eligible to free Mediation. Normally if a consensus is reached at Mediation there will be additional legal costs of between £100 and £1,000 per person, to formalise any agreement, but again these are not charged to a person who qualifies for Mediation Legal Aid.
The time-scale involved
When you choose to resolve your differences through Mediation, you retain control of the time scale of your meetings. Attending Mediation is often a significantly quicker way of reaching agreement.The outcome
In Mediation you will be discussing a range of ideas to enable you to carefully explore the options alongside each other, without reaching a legally binding agreement. If you settle on a proposal which appears to you to be fair to both of you and any children, we will help by putting the proposal in the form of a Summary, for you to discuss with your solicitors, before they help you decide whether to make such proposals legally binding. We will also summarize the financial information you have both provided to help you to obtain advice from your solicitor.
We readily acknowledge that Mediation is not a "soft option", as it can be difficult speaking with an estranged partner whom you may not have met for some time. However, we hope that with the assistance of trained, impartial and experienced Mediators, you will be able to reach the best solutions for your family.