The benefits of mediation are clear.
Simplicity – we provide a simple clear process to help you resolve the issues that you want
Speed – generally a mediation will take about 4-8 weeks. This is different from the 8-12 months that a court case might easily take.
Cost – you may be entitled to Legal Aid which would mean that mediation would not cost you anything. If you do not qualify for Legal Aid then your mediation costs are likely to be less than 10% of the costs of a court case. The hourly cost of mediation is much less than the hourly cost of engaging a solicitor.
Creativity – mediation allows for a high degree of creativity in dealing with the issues that you need to sort out. These might be issues that the court cannot sort out for you. The role of your mediator is to help you develop a range of possible solutions without the risk that during the process you are bound by any decisions that you make. At an initial assessment meeting the mediator will explain how the process works and how it is different from going to court, which can often feel very confrontational and defensive.
Control – you will always be in control of the outcome of the mediation. This makes it very different from court where ultimately a judge would impose a solution on you.
Communication – because mediation encourages you to work together to find solutions rather than fight against each other, it will help you to be able to continue to communicate effectively with each other in the future. This is particularly important where there are children involved. Mediation focusses on helping you to be constructive and to have a positive approach.