Mediation helps you and your partner to resolve issues yourselves and to reach an agreement that you think and feel is fair. Trained mediators facilitate and manage discussions between you about all of the issues that you need to address. It can be used for financial issues and/or disputes between you and your partner in relation to the arrangements for your children.

All of the negotiations are confidential and it is possible for each of you to speak privately and confidentially to the mediator, which can assist you to find a way through issues which may appear insoluble at the outset.

It is important to take independent legal advice and your lawyers will also draw up the paperwork to confirm the agreement you reach.

With effect from 6 April 2011, in most cases it will be compulsory for you and your partner to attend a mediation information and assessment meeting to find out more before an application can be made to the courts for orders relating to finances or the arrangements for children.

It will not be compulsory for you to continue with the mediation once you have attended the initial meeting. However, if both you and your partner wish to avoid court proceedings and can see the benefits of “alternative dispute resolution” (whether mediation or collaborative law) then we encourage you to try to resolve issues using one of these options, instead of incurring the potential emotional and financial cost of litigation.

There are two main types of mediation used in personal disputes: family and commercial (or civil) mediation.