The vast majority of people do not have any previous experience with family and children mediation until they reach a point in their life when it is absolutely required. As a direct consequence of this, both the process and the language may provide some difficulties. This page will be of use to you by providing an outline of the process that your mediation case will most likely adhere to.
Step 1: Booking your meeting
The mediation process is very personalised, and for the great majority of individuals, it is an experience that they are having for the first time. As a direct consequence of this, we will only take bookings through our website or over the phone.
If you give us a call, we will talk you through the process step by step and provide you with a chance to ask any questions that may come to mind along the way. Following the recording of your information, we will go ahead and set up a time for the examination. It is very advised that you get the contact information of your ex-partner at this stage, however it is not mandatory that you do so. At this point, we will be able to take your payment for the planned meeting to discuss the evaluation.
Step 2: Your Assessment Meeting; Often called a MIAM.
Additionally, you will get knowledge about the mediation procedure. It will take about 30 minutes to complete the evaluation during this meeting.
We will address the next step in the process if, at the conclusion of the meeting, YOU AND YOUR MEDIATOR THINK MEDIATION MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU FIND SOLUTIONS TO YOUR ISSUE.
If you have any reason to think you could be qualified for legal assistance, we will also check your eligibility during this visit. This assessment will be omitted if you have no reason to believe that you could be eligible for such assistance.
If it is determined that mediation would not be advantageous in your case, we will end the process and give you the required court documentation so that you can pursue your case in court. Depending on your preference, either you or your mediator may make this decision.
Step 3: Your Former Partner Will Be Invited to Attend Their Evaluation Meeting Once You Have Completed This Step
Your previous spouse or partner will be invited by the Family Mediation Trust to participate in a meeting that will be held in private and will be kept strictly secret. This meeting will likewise be run in the same way as your evaluation meeting was conducted.
You will get the invitation in the form of two letters; however, we may additionally contact you by email and/or the phone in addition to sending you the invitation in the form of two letters. If neither you nor your former partner show up for the assessment meeting, or if you fail to get in contact with us, we will come to a conclusion about the case, and the relevant papers will be given to the person who was originally supposed to attend the meeting (yourself or your partner).
During this meeting, if you believe that you may be qualified for legal aid, we will assess whether or not you are eligible for such assistance and whether or not you may get it.
At the end of the meeting, if BOTH you and the mediator are of the opinion that mediation may be able to assist you in finding a solution to your problems, then we will come to an agreement on the subsequent stage of the process. If neither of you are of the opinion that mediation may be able to assist you in finding a solution to your problems, then we will move on to the next stage.
If either you or the mediator comes to the conclusion that mediation will not be successful in your situation, we will terminate the process and provide the parties with the necessary court documents to allow them to pursue things via the judicial system. If you or the mediator come to this conclusion, we will put an end to the process.
Step 4: The Commencement of the Mediation Procedure
Following the conclusion of the assessments, The Family Mediation Trust will get in contact with both parties in order to organise the mediation sessions and make the necessary preparations.
The length of time that each session of mediation lasts might range anywhere from one hour to one hour and a half. There is a possibility that the mediation process may be finished in a single session; but, depending on the circumstances, there is also a possibility that it will need more than one session. If it turns out that you need more than one session, the mediator will talk to you about what will happen during the time in between those sessions. Following the conclusion of each session, in the overwhelming majority of instances, a set of notes will be sent to the two parties involved.
In the vast majority of situations, the only persons who will be present during the mediation sessions will be the mediator, both parties, and the person who is mediating the disagreement. This is because mediation is intended to be a confidential process. There may be times when there is also an observer present, such as a lawyer or a person for the sake of our own training; however, this will always be mentioned to you before the session begins. There may be times when there is also an observer present, such as a person for the sake of our own training.
Step 5: Issuing of Final Documents
The relevant documents will be generated and distributed by the service in accordance with the decision that was made during the mediation process in accordance with the decision that was reached during the mediation process. The mediator will provide an explanation of what they are and how they may be used to make the negotiating process run more smoothly.
