What is Family Mediation?
Family mediation is a voluntary process in which an independent professionally trained mediator helps you and your former partner work through issues together. The process is often used following a relationship breakdown to make decisions in respect of children and/or financial matters.
Common points of discussion include
• With whom children will live.
• How much time they will spend with the other parent?
• How they will stay in touch with their parents during the time they are not together.
• Who else they will see or won’t see.
• How much will be paid by way of child maintenance.
• Who will pay for the children’s other expenses, such as uniforms, extra-curricular activities and trips. • What will happen to the family home?
• How other assets will be divided.
Family mediation provides you and your former partner with a safe and supported environment to help you reach the decisions that affect you as a family and explore how the future might work.
What is the process?
Both you and your former partner must contact the mediator and confirm that you would like to try family mediation.
You will both complete a preliminary information form
The mediator will then meet with you both individually to discuss whether family mediation is suitable and to ensure that each party is happy to proceed.
The mediator will then meet with you together at which point you will sign the Agreement to Mediate and mediation will begin.
Each session usually lasts 90 minutes and depending on the issues you would like to discuss, three to five meetings would usually be required.
If the issues involve finances both of you will be expected to go through a financial disclosure process.
If decisions are reached, the mediator is able to draft documentation to summarise the conclusions. This may include a Parenting Plan, a Memorandum of Understanding and a Financial Statement if decisions relate to financial matters.
The mediator will explain the next steps to ensure that any decisions are legally binding.
Each of you will be encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
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Contact
Mills Morgan Mediation
Anna Mills Morgan
26 St Asaph Business Park
St Asaph
Denbighshire
LL17 0LJ