What Do I Need To Know About Civil Mediation?
As a mediation service, we are frequently asked questions, mediation is quite unknown to most people unless they have gone through the process themselves, civil mediation covers a wide range of situations, and the process itself is quite simple, whether it is the way forward for you is a different matter but some of the questions we get are universal.
Who pays?
Usually, for civil mediation, depending on the situation both or all parties pay for themselves unless agreed otherwise between themselves but for example if you are an organisation trying to resolve a dispute, it may be that your organisation covers the fee.
Is it confidential?
Yes, everything said in mediation is confidential unless you say otherwise, prior to mediation you sign an agreement that states that whatever is said is confidential, no recording is allowed, no one else is in the room unless you agree beforehand, and if you would like whatever you agree to be made legally binding, you will need to instruct your solicitor of the agreement and go forward from there.
Do you invite the other person for me?
For civil mediation, the parties have to agree to mediate beforehand, there’s no point you spending money booking an appointment if the other party/parties are not going to turn up, mediation is voluntary so it’s best to know they are willing to try before you begin.
Can mediation fix my relationship?
Mediation is more for legal agreements and helping you cooperate for whichever situation you are in rather than reconciliation, for example, if you would like to resolve a dispute in regard to a will, we can help with this! Reconciliation with a family member? You may want to look into family counselling; they are more suited to dealing with emotional matters. You can use mediation if you would like but it may be more costly.
Do I have to see the other party to mediate?
In short, you do not, whichever situation you are in, mediation can be done on a ‘shuttled’ basis, the mediator will go between the two or more parties, discussing matters and negotiating as they go, for the most part, our appointments are done via video call so if you want to be in the comfort of your own home, you can! We do offer face-to-face shuttled mediation but obviously, this can take more time and possibly more sessions which of course would incur more cost.
How long is mediation?
We usually book half day or full day sessions, for civil matters as they can get quite complex, we usually recommend a full day which is 7 hours (usually starting at 10:00) but if you would prefer half-day sessions (which are 4 hours in length) for any reason that is not a problem at all.
How long does this take to arrange?
It can be arranged as early as next week if your availability matches! As long as you have all of the paperwork ready so the mediator can adequately prepare, we can book you in as soon as possible!
Still unsure about Civil Mediation or have more questions? Book your free initial consultation by clicking here.
