Family Mediation Services
Online and in-person family mediation for families going through separation or divorce.
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Mediation for disputes around child arrangements or property and finance arrangements
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Mediation for co-parents, guardians or other family members where ongoing child arrangements are proving challenging or are being reviewed
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Parenting planning
Financial settlements for divorce
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Avoid the costs, time and stress of court
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Invest in your future co-parenting relationship now, by making early decisions together for your children's lives
Why Family Mediation?
Family Mediation is a process that provides a safe, legally-informed space for co-parents or separating/divorcing couples to discuss the path towards the future, as the structure of the family changes. This allows you to discuss openly and make difficult decisions together, whether this is regarding your finances, where your children live and spend time, or what happens to a property you currently share.
Life-long decisions such as these are much more likely to last, and to be able to flex during the inevitable future life changes as children grow older, if you have made them together.
In their impartial role, your mediator will support you in safely exploring the options, discussing your ideas and possibilities, and in navigating the path towards eventually making these decisions legally binding (with your solicitor’s support) if this is what you need.
About Us
We offer online mediation services to clients across the UK, as well as providing in-person mediation at various locations across Herefordshire.
Our Family Mediator is Rebecca Semple, who brings a wide range of experience of working with families and is registered with the Family Mediation Council. Click below to read more about Rebecca, her background and her approach.
Children and Mediation
Mediation provides separated parents with a calmer and less combative route for their decision-making than court or other non-court dispute resolution options often do.
Children will benefit from this reduced sense of conflict, as well as from an awareness of their parents working together on the family’s future plans.
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Family Mediation focuses on the wellbeing of any children involved. We will always encourage their voice to be heard within your discussions, while at the same time supporting you in not putting them ‘in the middle’. Evidence shows us that children find having their voice heard and acknowledged during their parents’ separation is incredibly beneficial. Child Inclusive Mediation is also an option for parents who want to support their children's right to be heard at a difficult time.
How Does Mediation Work?
The mediation journey starts with an individual, confidential meeting for each of you separately, with the Mediator. This is called a MIAM or Intake Meeting. We will talk to you about mediation as well as the other options and support available to you, assess the suitability of your situation for mediation, and provide you with the information you need to decide whether to take the next step. Mediation is a voluntary process, and whether to mediate or not is your choice, and no one else’s.
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If you both wish to mediate following your individual meetings, joint Mediation meetings can then begin. These can be held online, in person, and either in the same room or in separate rooms, depending on the needs of your case.
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Throughout the mediation process, its voluntary nature continues, and you can pause or indeed close mediation at any point should you feel the need to. We will support you through the process, giving it structure, information, care and respect.
Is mediation right for me?
If you are not able to move forward with child arrangements or financial arrangements (whether for divorce, separation or as a co-parent) because you can't agree, it is quite possible that mediation may help.
An Intake Meeting (or MIAM) - our mediator's initial individual meeting with each client - will give you all of the information you need to decide whether you want to use mediation, as well as what your other options might be at this point. Simply contact us to arrange this appointment.
If you are not sure whether to book an Intake Meeting (MIAM), contact us to let us know your situation and we can advise you whether this initial meeting would be useful for you. Your legal advisor may also be able to help you decide.
If you are making a court application you will usually need to have attended a MIAM, and we can provide the certificate that you will need in order to demonstrate you have done so.