The mediator is there to help you to work through disagreements, gain clarity and perspective if you have got stuck in your discussions and find solutions that work for you both/ the family. We can also explain how to make the agreement you reach legally binding should you wish to do so.

Solution focused approach

It is a principled and structured process with an emphasis on solution seeking. The process is conducted with some ground rules to ensure the process is even handed and everyone is heard with fairness at the forefront.

Structured process

The structure can be adapted to suit your needs. Mediation provides flexibility to enable you to work towards a concluded resolution. A mediator will provide information as to the Court's view on agreements reached and provide practical advice as to what will or will not work in practice. A concluded resolution which clients are committed to and have designed themselves are more likely to work practically and financially in the long term.

Empowering you to make choices

Jennifer and Jane are committed to assisting our clients reach a fair outcome which is workable and practical. We feel passionately about reality checking with our clients so that our clients feel confident that any decisions they reach within mediation will work on the outside. We will offer our experience to assist our clients to achieve a tailored conclusion which will suit their circumstances. Our role as mediators is to help our clients maintain focus on the important issues that they wish to discuss and resolve.

The steps involved are:

1. An initial meeting with each of you separately to be able to understand more about your circumstances and to clarify whether mediation is suitable and if so, what you each want to achieve.
2. A joint meeting to have focussed discussions on the disputes that have arisen. An agenda can be agreed to address various issues that have arisen if this assists you both. The benefit of these focussed joint sessions is to ensure you do not go round in circles and you feel good about moving matters forward.
3. Exploring possible ways forward and solutions and reality testing these idea’s in a confidential environment so that you can be open about possibilities and options.
4. If you are both agreed, we can then record a joint decision or agreement to provide you both with clarity and certainly.