In mediation, people make decisions that work for them and are based on their own situations.
People in Mediation can take as much time as they need to carefully think about and talk about proposals (about child care and money) that are best for them and their family. In court proceedings, on the other hand, more general decisions may be made, or the Court may only have a short time to think about the case.
Flexibility
Mediation is a flexible process, and people can decide what matters most to them and what they want to talk about at each session. In practise, mediation sessions are also set up at a time and place that works for both parties. This is different from court proceedings, where the parties don’t have any say over how the court works or when and where hearings will take place.
Getting to the point
Even if mediation isn’t used to solve all problems, it can be a very useful way to narrow down the problems that need to be solved. This can save time, stress, and money because the problems that can be solved without Mediation have already been found and narrowed down.
Mediation can be used to solve problems that may not be right for a court or lawyer letter.
It can be used by people in Mediation to talk about whatever is important to them. This could mean talking about specific things related to the children, like how each person would like to parent the children after the breakup, how to tell the children about the breakup, how to introduce new long-term partners to the children in the future, etc. With the help of a Mediator, these important issues can be talked about in a private, neutral space. The Mediator can help people put their children’s welfare at the centre of these talks.
Improves communication
Mediation makes it easier for people to talk to each other and talk about their problems. This helps them come up with solutions so they can move on. Mediation makes it easier for people to talk to each other, which can be very helpful for separated parents (and their children) who will be sharing parenting for a long time.
How fast and how long
People can move through their Mediation sessions as quickly as they want. Compared to the court process, where people may have to wait months between hearings, this can make it easier to come up with plans for moving forward. People can speed up the process of resolving their remaining issues if they narrow and reduce the things they are fighting about at Mediation.
How much does it cost?
Mediation can be much cheaper than going to court, and people have more control over the costs because they can choose how many sessions they want to go to. This is different from what happens in court, where people are told to prepare documents for hearings and show up at hearings.
When a couple breaks up, there may be things to decide about the kids, how to raise them, or money. When someone gets a phone call or letter from the other person’s lawyer, they might think that their only choice is to hire lawyers or go to court. At any point in the legal process, mediation is an option. It gives couples a chance to talk directly to each other and talk about their worries and needs in front of a professional. Mediation can not only save people thousands of pounds in legal fees, but it can also be a very empowering process because the people involved make the decisions. Even if court proceedings are already going on, it is never too late to try to find a middle ground.
Even years after a couple has split up, mediation can help if problems come up out of the blue. For example, people can go back to mediation if their lives have changed a lot since they first settled their divorce. It can be expensive and risky to go back to court to change a financial order. Judges have a lot of freedom to decide what to do, and it’s hard to know what will happen in court. Mediation lets both sides keep more of the power. It can give people a calm and safe place to talk things out without being forced to make a decision. Also, if the mediation doesn’t work, there’s nothing stopping people from going to court. Mediation is a private process, so people can be open and creative about finding solutions without worrying that the information they share could be used against them later, in court or elsewhere.
The most important thing to remember is that it’s never too late to be a mediator when it comes to kids. Wells Family Mediation focuses on the needs of children in all of its mediation, so the welfare of any children will be the most important thing to think about in any conversation. Research has shown that it is important for kids to have parents who can talk to each other and keep doing their jobs as co-parents even after they are no longer together.
Family Mediation Service helps people put aside their differences and keep their emotional relationship separate from their relationship as parents. It is normal for people to have trouble making this change, and mediation can give them a safe place to talk about hard things. It can also be helpful to go back to mediation to talk about how parenting plans have worked and whether or not they need to be changed. We encourage everyone, even people who have been divorced for years, to go back to mediation at any time if they want to talk about their kids or parenting.
Mediation is not about enforcing “rights” or making the other person feel better. Instead, it is about having a practical conversation that is focused on the future, the children, and the truth. It’s never too late to work together to solve problems that will help both clients, their children, and their extended families for many years to come.
