Going through divorce is painful and stressful. Couples often need mediation to help them see things clearer
The media do love a sensationalist divorce headline: whether it’s about quickie divorces, ongoing maintenance for wives or divorce day. They just want to sell papers or get clicks online. The fact that the divorce process takes the same time for everyone (about 4 to 6 months), regardless of whether you have ever been in Hello magazine, is neither here nor there. So often the headline focusses on a single fact which is actually not the most important part at…
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If you have only recently separated from your husband or wife, then you may be quite surprised to find out how the divorce laws work in this country. Currently unless you have been separated from your husband or wife for 2 years (this can include living separate lives within the same house) then the only fact on which you can base your divorce is either the other person’s adultery, or their unreasonable behaviour. The unreasonable behaviour is a subjective test.…
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If you have any experience of having solicitors resolve a separation with any degree of acrimony then you might be familiar with the following scenario: Things are ticking along and you are both trying your hardest to keep your head above water in every day life, to manage the process of resolving matters and to look after your children who you know are not doing great following the separation. It’s not easy but things are moving along, albeit not…
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The benefits of mediation are huge. That’s not to say that it is easy. Often the things that we are most proud of are the hardest to achieve. Sometimes people are held back from trying, or committing, to mediation. In this blog we have tried to focus on the most common reasons why people say mediation isn’t for them. We are also dispelling the myths to ensure that as many people as possible can reap the amazing benefits mediation can…
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When you begin the process of mediation you may feel apprehensive and anxious. You may wonder how compromise can ever be possible with someone who simply refuses to compromise. You may wish to avoid taking directly because you feel hurt, rejected and downright angry. It’s natural to feel like you want to run for cover rather than talking directly. In many respects mediation is a brave and bold option. It may feel much safer to get lawyers to write…
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Louisa Whitney, who started LKW Family Mediation in 2013, has recently been taking part in a mediation hour on twitter. The purpose of this is to allow people to ask questions about mediation. Why is this important? There are three main reasons: 1. Despite government and other advertising campaigns not enough people are aware that mediation is available to separating couples. A number of people still believe that court is the only option for separating couples to resolve matters.…
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In this next blog in our series looking at what happens in mediation, we are talking about summarising. Often when a party has expressed a view the mediator will summarise what they have said. The purpose of this repetition is two fold. Firstly, it enables the mediator to check that they have understood correctly what has been expressed. Secondly, it enables the other party to have another opportunity to hear what has been said. Often when people are under pressure,…
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There is still some mystery surrounding mediation, both amongst people who might attend mediation, and amongst some solicitors who refer clients to mediation. In the first of a series of blogs examining what happens in mediation we are looking today at exploring options. When somebody first makes an enquiry about mediation they may have some idea that mediation is to help separating couples talk about what they’re going to do but they often do not understand how the mediator…
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When couples embark upon mediation they are ultimately looking for a resolution. They want to be able to find a set of arrangements that will enable each of them to move on. It sounds like a fairly simple objective when you put it like that. However, even deciding on the first thing to talk about, and what the priorities are can feel like a mountain to climb. It is not unusual for couples trying to reach a resolution between…
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What does family mediation involve? Many people may first decide to seek out a mediator because their solicitor has suggested mediation. Or they may have read about mediation online, or been recommended to it by a friend. They may have a general idea about what mediation involves. For many people the first question is how do I get into mediation, or how do we start it. In this blog we outline the 5 steps to get mediation started. We hope…
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