Separation & Divorce Mediation London and Kent

Contact us on 020 8315 7460 for a confidential discussion
to see how we can best help you.

Separation & Divorce Mediation London and Kent

Mediation: reaching agreement following divorce and separation.

The South East London Family Mediation Bureau (SELFMB) is available to help you reach agreements related to matters about children, finance and property.

In almost all cases confidentiality can be maintained throughout, thus avoiding public exposure of personal problems.  In most cases an agreement reached by mediation will last longer than a decision imposed by the court.

What takes place in mediation?

Parents will be invited to attend a pre-mediation meeting (separate time will be provided for each parent.) At this initial meeting what happens in mediation will be explained. Parents then meet together with an accredited and experienced mediator who will help them to make decisions regarding the arrangements for children and / or finance and property.

 

Our Mediators

All Bureau mediators are accredited by the Family Mediation Council (FMCA) and function within its Mediation Code of Practice.

 

Advantages of mediation compared to court proceedings:

  • Parents retain control of decisions which affect the children.
  • Children benefit because of reduced conflict.
  • It can be done quickly: it may be completed in days rather than months compared to litigation and court process.
  • Costs are likely to be far less than those of lengthy court proceedings.

 

Find out more

Contact us on 020 8315 7460 for a confidential discussion to see how we can best help you.

Find out more

Mediation FAQ's


Answer

Going to court should be a last resort. But if you do need to go to court, you will still need to show that you have either attended a Mediation Information & Assessment Meeting (MIAM) or you don’t need to attend a MIAM because of your circumstances. You need to do this by sending the relevant court form with your court papers.

 

The mediator can help you complete this at the first meeting or MIAM.

Answer

Family mediators are there to help you to reach decisions about things that are important for you and your family. They can help you to find a way to plan for the future and to agree what will work best for you without having to go to court. That can save you time, money and stress.

Mediation provides you with the space and time to think about what is most important for your children and for the whole family. You can work out how arrangements for your children will work best and think about what is going to be important for your children as they grow up.

Regardless of whether you are a parent or not, mediation can help you deal with your money, the options you may have about where you will live, and planning your future finances.

Answer

Contact a mediator as soon as you need help sorting things out. Even if you’ve been separated for a while, or if your case has already gone to court, mediation can still help to resolve things.

You can’t usually take your case to court until you find out if mediation can help you first. If you can’t show that you’ve considered it, the judge may stop or delay proceedings until you have.

Once you’ve found a mediator, the next step is to attend a first meeting with them to find out if it’s right for you. Sometimes this is called a Mediation Information & Assessment Meeting (MIAM).

If you think you need legal advice to help you during mediation, this can be arranged at any time during the process. You might be able to get legal aid to pay for this.

If your case is not suitable for mediation you will still need to show the judge you’ve considered it by filling in the relevant court form.


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Contact us on 020 8315 7460 for a confidential discussion

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COVID-19 & Appointments

In light of recent Coronavirus developments SELFMB are offering clients the opportunity to book a MIAM appointment by Zoom, as an alternative to a face-to-face meeting, or to change an existing MIAM appointment to a Zoom appointment. Zoom is a video meeting App which you can download for free onto your phone/laptop or other device. Find out more here.

In some cases we will also be offering mediations by Zoom. We would usually conduct mediations in person, however mediation by video meeting is a recognised approach, approved by the FMC (Family Mediation Council). With the increased risk of Coronavirus we are looking at how we can continue to provide services to clients whilst reducing the risk to clients and staff.

Please call on 020 8315 7460 if you have any questions or would like to arrange an appointment or request to change an appointment to Zoom.