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Senior Family Lawyer and Family Mediator Advantages of family mediation
Are you and your spouse separating? Would you like to sort out your separation together with the same family law professional? Perhaps you fear that engaging separate solicitors to act as intermediaries will result in increased hostility or that it will be too expensive.
If so, family mediation may be the solution.
Discover more about our Family Mediation Service. |
What is family mediation?
Family mediation is where a specially trained mediator helps a separating couple to sort out future arrangements for:
- their children;
- finances; or
- any other issues that arise following their separation.
It enables you both to meet with one family law professional to work out solutions together, reducing the risk of tension and hostility, and the costs are usually considerably less than using solicitors to negotiate on your behalf.
Choosing a solicitor mediator
If your family mediator is also a specialist family solicitor, they will be able to:
- give you detailed information in a neutral way about the legal aspects of relationship breakdown and
- assist you in reaching financial solutions that work for you both, and that can be converted into a binding court order if required.
In addition, they will be accustomed to dealing with clients with complicated financial affairs, including multiple properties, businesses, family trusts, overseas assets and complex pensions. As such, they will have sufficient knowledge to know when expert financial advice is required to ensure that you reach a fair outcome.
They can also assist with drafting the paperwork necessary to obtain a consent order from the court.
Will I still need my own solicitor?
Family mediation is an alternative to a traditional solicitor-led approach to resolving issues arising on separation. However, mediators do not give legal advice and do not represent individuals. They are there to help both of you work out a plan for the future.
Once you have settled on proposals for dividing your finances in mediation, your mediator will recommend that you each consult a separate solicitor for individual advice before applying for a consent order to make your proposals legally binding.