what is mediation?

Mediation is a way of resolving issues. Rather than pitting one party against the other as is usual with our adversarial legal system, mediation looks at things from a problem-solving point of view. The parties have a common problem, and it needs to be sorted in as non-confrontational way as possible so that an outcome can be found that is acceptable to them both. Where children are involved, the parties need to keep up an ongoing relationship as parents, and it is therefore important that their ability to communicate is improved rather than weakened.

Mediation allows couples the opportunity to have their say, to be listened to and to make decisions about their future and the future of any children. Parties set their own agenda, and decide what issues they wish to discuss as part of the process. The mediator then helps the parties explore the issues, look at various options and ‘reality check’ to see which option best suits both parties.