Making the decision to manage you and your partner’s differences out of the court isn’t always an easy decision to make. Settling a separation, divorce or dispute in the court is a process with clearly defined milestones. However, Mediation is a service offered to separating and divorcing couples that takes a completely different shape to that of the court settlement. So, what should you expect and what are the 5 main steps of Mediation?

1. Find a suitable Mediator – There are different types of mediator depending on your requirements. The most common are legal mediators, non-legal mediators and therapeutic trained mediators. The best thing to do is identify a mediator that fits your requirements and make contact. Most mediators offer an initial telephone call so you can ask them questions and get to know their style and approach a little. This is often a good indicator of whether you will be able to work together.
2. Decide together which mediator to use – if you are not in contact with your ex-partner or spouse, the mediator that you’ve made initial contact with can email or contact your ex to invite them to participate in mediation. It’s important that you each feel content to use the same mediator and be willing to invest time into the mediation process to obtain maximum results.
3. Once you have decided which mediator you would like to use, the Mediator will set up an individual meeting with each parent/spouse. This is a fact-finding meeting, where the mediator will ask questions about the current situation between both partners/spouses and what you want to achieve from the mediation sessions so they can create a clear roadmap and tailor your mediation to your circumstances. If after this meeting, both partners agree that they would like to proceed with the mediation, the first joint meeting will be scheduled. The mediator will also send the relevant documents for each partner/spouse ahead of the first joint meeting.
4. During the first joint meeting, the mediator will set the scene for ongoing sessions. They will ask each person to add topics to the agenda, both short and long term. For each session following this session, one to two topics will usually be addressed per session. This will depend on the communication dynamic between you and the length of the meeting.
5. During and after the first joint meeting, the documents for financial mediation are set up by the mediator and ongoing sessions will be advised and scheduled in line with each partner/spouse’s availability.

Mediation doesn’t have to be an overwhelming experience, in fact, settling divorce or disputes out of court can save a lot of time, money and stress for everyone involved. My background in Psychotherapy and Law allows me to provide a hybrid service between legal and therapeutic mediation which provides great results with many of my clients.

If you want to learn more about what to expect when having mediation or are looking for a family mediator, please contact me today by clicking here. I provide Family Mediation Services in Bristol but I also provide online mediation services.