Mediation Oxford | Family First Solicitors

Your relationship breakdown is always the first problem.

The second problem is usually ‘picking sides’.

If you’re looking at separation or divorce, communication between you and your partner has already broken down to a certain extent.

The way things usually go from there is that one of you puts your foot down and says something like, “I want a divorce”.

At that point you’re no longer a team, and it feels horrible. The person with whom you’ve shared so much is now on the ‘other side’, and you can no longer be fully open with the one who used to be your closest confidant.

So the first thing both of you do is find some other people to join your ‘side’ and before you know it you’re each leading your own little army, facing each other over a battlefield.

Getting solicitors involved at that point is a bit like bringing in the artillery, and soon you’re locked in an unpleasant, expensive arms race that nobody actually wanted.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Mediation with Family First is the best way to de-escalate the arms race before it even begins.

Mediation is faster and more efficient than litigation because both of you are in the room. Rather than pay lawyers to send letters to and fro, you ask real-time questions, make real-time decisions and get real-time feedback on those questions and decisions.
No ringing your lawyer for an update. No waiting while the housing market goes up or down.

For mediation to be really effective, you need someone who can bring you out of your shell, help you say what you really want, slow things down and make sure everybody understands everything. Somebody who’s impartial, but firm and will give you straight-talking help you get what you both need.

Mediation Oxford - Family First Solicitors - Picking Sides

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Mediation can help you to:

Feel heard in a supportive setting where there’s no power imbalance.
Preserve a civil relationship with your partner.
Facilitate that tricky conversation about how to parent after separation.

Guide you both through scary discussions about how you can make the money stretch once you have separated.
Stay in control of the outcome and costs of your separation.

Remember – mediation is unlike litigation in that the mediator is impartial. Neither partner has an advantage because they got in touch first. We are independent referees helping both of you to move on.

How does mediation work at Family First?

We don’t currently have an in-house mediator, but we can recommend from our list of trusted, qualified external mediators, while we provide the legal advice.

To keep your costs to a minimum, we can work on a pay-as-you-go basis, and can even represent both parties, provided that your split is relatively amicable.

See more about single-solicitor divorce here.

Our mediation process:

1. Initial Consultation with Family First

Helps assess your situation and prepare for mediation.

2. Choosing a Mediator:

We provide a list of trusted mediators.
You can suggest these to your ex-partner or agree on a neutral choice.

3. Engaging in Mediation:

Mediation sessions focus on resolving issues collaboratively.
After the first session, you return to us for legal advice.

4. Ongoing Legal Input:

Legal advice is available throughout the mediation process to guide decisions and keep costs low.

How much will mediation cost?

At Family First we’re always clear on costs. We know that mediation is both faster and cheaper than ‘picking sides’ and the endless letter writing that litigation often involves.

If things go well, it’s uncommon for the combined cost of mediation and legal advice to cost you more than £3000.

Alternatives to mediation

If mediation becomes complex or unproductive, other *non-court resolution options* may be more appropriate, such as:

Some questions you might ask:

“Do I have to reach an agreement, what if I don’t like what my partner is suggesting?”

Mediation is a voluntary process – you can stop it any anytime, pause to reflect or go and take legal advice, the process is there to serve you.

“How long does it take?”

Typically 3-4 sessions if we need to discuss the arrangements for your children and financial issues on divorce.

“What if mediation doesn’t work out and one of us wants to instruct you as our solicitor?”

We’re not able to do that. If you are a mediation client we cannot later represent you, this means you can be confident that we are focusing on helping you both reach an agreement and remain impartial.

“Is mediation confidential?”

Yes, your discussions remain private and this will help you have those frank conversations.

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What other forms of Non Court Dispute Resolution are available?

At Family First we offer several Non Court Dispute Resolution options. Some are suitable for before court, some both before and during court proceedings. We can help you with:

Resolution Together - Single Solicitor Divorce. One of the Non Court Dispute Resolution - NCDR - options from Family First Solicitors - Oxford London

Single Solicitor Service

Two parties: one lawyer. This is a relatively amicable solution, but you need some legal assistance before arriving at a final settlement. Takes place before any court proceedings are started.

Mediation

Mediation involves a trained facilitator to help you negotiate from scratch, or to negotiate at any point during the court process. Mediation can take place before or during court proceedings.

Early Neutral Evaluation - One of the Non Court Dispute Resolution - NCDR - options from Family First Solicitors - Oxford London

Early Neutral Evaluation (ENE)

An independent written opinion of the strengths and weaknesses of each party’s case by a specialist senior Solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive. Takes place before any court proceedings are started.

Private Financial Dispute Resolution - One of the Non Court Dispute Resolution options from Family First Solicitors - Oxford London

Private Financial Dispute Resolution Hearing (pFDR)

Takes place after a court has agreed that you can try to resolve your dispute in this way. You usually have a court order that permits you to exit the court process for a short while.