Children & Family Mediation Specialists London
Family Mediation in London
At Children 1st Mediation we understand the challenges faced by separated and separating parents. We recognise that no matter how long it is since you separated, it is not unusual for there to be difficult times and strong feelings.
Children 1st Mediation delivers Family Mediation in Central London and across Greater London.
Child Arrangement Mediation
Where the children will live – residence
How time and care will be shared between parents
Arrangements for school holidays and special events (birthdays etc)
The best way for parents to communicate about issues concerning the children
How both parents can best support the children both financially and emotionally
What is Family Mediation?
Our Aims
Find common ground
It is not unusual to be struggling to find some common ground about the arrangements for child contact, child residence or shared care.
Work together at your pace
Let's resolve the challenges you're facing and pave a new way forward together. We don’t judge, take any one side or tell you what to do.
Find resolutions
Avoid conflict over childcare and financial support for your children, as well as any wider financial issues as part of divorce settlement.
The Mediation Process
1. Get in touch
2. Meet you both separately / MIAM
The Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting, often referred to as a MIAM, is the gateway to mediation. A MIAM must be conducted by a mediator who is accredited by the Family Mediation Council (FMC).
The mediator will arrange to see you both separately for the initial information meeting to find out how best to help in your situation. If both parties are willing to try mediation the mediator will then arrange the first mediation meeting.
Mediators are now required to consider meeting with the children directly to ensure their views are included in the mediation. This can only happen when both parents consent.
It is something that you must attend, except in some rare cases, before you can consider making an application to family Court in relation to any family matters.
3. Joint mediation meeting(s)
Once you have both attended your initial MIAM meeting the mediator will make arrangements for you both to attend a joint mediation session. This will be at a time and date convenient to everyone involved.
Most of our clients now prefer the convenience of having their mediation meetings online, typically by Zoom. There are still some options for face-to-face mediation where the need arises. Whether you are meeting online of face to face the mediator will have discussed with you both how best to set things up and is some cases this will mean that you and your ex partner maybe in different zooms for all or part of the joint meeting, this is sometimes called ‘shuttle mediation’.
The mediator will help you to hear from one another about the key issues and then explore the options with you both. The mediator will assist you in checking how practical your proposals are, guiding you to reach acceptable and workable solutions that meet your children’s needs. Any outcome you reach is entirely under your control.
4. Review and build on arrangements
Most separated parents benefit from taking a stepping stone approach to building or rebuilding the arrangements for children and on average most parents need between 1 and 2 mediation sessions over time to fully resolve things in cases involving child arrangements. Financial issues typically take 2 to 3 sessions. This may be over a period of time and is often depending on your life events, as well as any plans that you make in session one and the time needed to put them into practice and test things out.
We can then meet again and build upon the progress from session 1 and then address any other issues to enable you both to move forward.
5. Summary of proposals or MOU
Any solutions reached between you in the mediation can be written up into a letter summarising the proposals. In financial cases we can prepare a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and an open financial statement (sometimes called an OFS).
Impartial support to reach your decisions
Family Mediation helps parents or carers to focus on their children’s needs moving forward, which assists them to reach well-informed decisions that are practical and seem fair to each of you. We won’t take sides or try to influence your decisions in any way.
The majority of issues in relation to child arrangements are resolved within 2 meetings, in some more complex cases this can be up 3 sessions.
What happens after mediation?
For Children only cases the mediator will upon request provide a summary letter detailing any agreements reached. If you require a parenting plan drafted this will be discussed with you at the mediation appointment.
Following the last financial cases the Mediator will produce an open financial statement that will be used as your financial disclosure in any divorce proceedings. This document is open and will need to be signed by each of you. The Mediator will also draft a Memorandum of Understanding or Summary letter depending on your needs, setting out any proposals/agreements reached during the mediation
If we produce a Summary letter, Open Financial Statement, Outcome Statement, Summary letter or Memorandum of Understanding at the end of a session or upon conclusion of your mediation the is a cost. Each document is charged at £120 per person (inc VAT).
"The mediator did an amazing job helping me and my ex arrange everything for our children."
Kayleigh
Financial Mediation
Our mediators can help you to explore ways in which to unravel the financial connection between you, explore different options together, and assist you in trying to find a way forward that works for everyone.
Mediation London
Most families are choosing to mediate online now, usually on Zoom. However, we do occasionally do face-to-face mediation when the need arises.
We are regularly dealing with clients from the City of London, Westminster and surrounding areas including Wimbledon, Stratford, Kensington and Putney.
Over 90% of our mediation’s lead to an outcome that both people are positive about, which makes us one of the most successful mediation services in England. This means that both of you have found a settlement that you can both live with, which avoids the need for court intervention, which no one wants. All of our mediators are accredited with the Ministry of Justice to undertake Family Mediation in both financial and Children’s issues so you can be confident your in safe hands.
We support clients in Central London and across Greater London.