Separation & Divorce Mediation London

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

Separation & Divorce Mediation London

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.

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Mediation FAQ's


Answer

Mediators are trained to:

  • Listen and help you both to work out what has to be dealt with.
  • Discuss what your options might be and what might work best for the future.
  • Make sure you both have chance to speak and be heard.
  • Provide any legal information needed to help your discussions or confirm when you need to consult a family lawyer.
  • Tell you when you might need further independent advice on matters such as pensions.
  • Ensure decisions are made jointly, are fair for both of you, for any children involved, and for your family circumstances.

 

When you reach agreement, the mediator will put it in writing and make sure you’re all clear about what it means.

Answer

There are a number of ways of dealing with family matters without having to make an application to court.

  • A divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership can only be granted by a court but this can be done without actually going to a hearing at court.
  • For many people, sorting out arrangements for children and agreeing how to split property and finances can be done without involving a court at all.

If you can’t work things out between you or have a family dispute, you will be expected to try to sort it out using mediation before going to court.

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