Mediation
Mediation involves both parties attending a meeting with an independent mediator, who is legally trained, and discussing the issues between the two of them and trying to reach a resolution that both parties feel is acceptable. It can be used in all matters, namely children issues or financial matters.
The mediator will initially assess your financial situation to see if you are eligible for public funding, otherwise they will charge a fee for the mediation sessions. Any agreements reached through mediation can be recorded in a memorandum of understanding which you should then bring to your Solicitor to obtain legal advice and to ask them to prepare a legally binding document to reflect the agreement reached.
Mediation is an opportunity for both parties to discuss their issues in a more informal environment, and often can be quite successful, if both parties are willing to commit to it and try and make it work. In most cases where you are eligible for public funding it is a requirement to attend mediation before you can be granted public funding to issue court proceedings.
