Family Mediation Week 2024

Monday 22^nd January to Friday 26^th January marks family mediation week. The Family Mediation Council runs the Family Mediation Week campaign every January. Pinney Talfourd is pleased to support a worthwhile campaign. Pinney Talfourd recognises how mediation can benefit many of our clients. We can provide advice throughout the mediation process so that a solution can be reached which is fair and works best for you. During the course of this week, we highlight the benefits of mediation.

What is Mediation?

Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution and the aim is to reach a decision without resorting to protracted and expensive court proceedings. The solicitors at Pinney Talfourd will always advice that it is a very good start when dealing with a separation.  You can attend mediation to deal with disputes over finances or children or both.

Three key benefits of mediation are:

• Control – Separation couples can make a decision together that best suits their family.  In mediation a separating couple has the control as to when the meetings take place and how long it will take, and the enables you to create an agenda and timeline of what you want to deal with and when.

• Cost effective – It is typically a quicker process compared to litigation and therefore costs are reduced. Furthermore, the mediator is the only person who is paid and so the costs can be shared between the couple.

• Flexibility – By going through mediation a mediator can work in an extremely flexible way including conducting mediation where separated couples are in separate rooms or via Zoom if that is more appropriate.  Through mediation separated couples can also come up with more flexible agreements and decisions.  There are some occasions when court proceedings do not deal with certain issues because of an inability to do so. Furthermore, there is the possibility of child focused mediation where children can attend and have input in what arrangements are in place for them.

• Non-confrontational – Mediation is a way to resolve issues in an amicable way. The mediator’s role is to support couples/ex-couples to reach a resolution with as little hostility as possible. a good mediator will help to prevent antagonistic language and will guide parties back to solutions.

Mediation is a voluntary process and neither person can be forced into any decision that they do not agree with. The solicitors at Pinney Talfourd are all members of Resolution and work in a constructive manor trying to assist separating couples to be as amicable with one another where possible. In going through the mediation process, we will guide our clients through the process in the hope that decisions can be reached swiftly and justly.

How Pinney Talfourd can help

When looking for a mediator a good starting point is the Family Mediation Council, or Resolution website. Our solicitors will be able to point you in the right direction.

We would recommend checking out our frequently asked questions section on our website.