Family Mediation
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.
It is not unusual to be struggling to find some common ground about the arrangements for the child contact, child residence or shared care.
Another area that can cause conflict is in relation to financial support for children and wider financial issues as part of any divorce settlement.
We work at your pace to help you to resolve the challenges your facing and assist you to pave a new way forward together. We don’t judge, take any one side or tell you what to do.
The Mediation Process
Mediating Arrangements for the Children
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. When we are mediating for children and family matters we will typically discuss;
- where the children will live – residence
- how care will be shared between parents – contact and residence
- arrangements for school holidays and special events throughout the year such as Christmas
- the best way for parents to communicate about issues concerning your children
- how both parents can best support the children both financially and emotionally
How much does Mediation cost?
Before the MIAM the admin team will speak to you to find out if you may be eligible for Legal Aid, if you or your ex-partner is eligible then this meeting will be FREE for you, otherwise the MIAM will be £120 inc vat.
We offer the £500 Voucher scheme, which is shared between you towards the cost of your mediation fees.
Depending on the experience of the Mediator the fees range from;
| Per person per 1.5hr mediation | ||||
| Consultant Mediator | £234 | |||
| Practice Director | £255 |
All fees are per person and inclusive of VAT.
If you require the mediator to provide you with a written summary of proposals or an open financial statement these will be charged in addition to the fees above. The mediator can explain these fees to you at the MIAM or in the mediation.
If you are a mediating about child arrangements a one off voucher can be applied for which will pay up to £500 towards the time in joint mediation meetings. Click here for more details.
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 per person (inc VAT).
Why Choose Children 1st Mediation?
Our team of Professionally qualified Family Mediators have over 80 years collective experience in Mediation, so you can be sure you’re getting the best service. We believe in you retaining the decision making between you.
All of our Family Mediators are qualified and registered which means they are required to work within the parameters of family law and will consider with you both how the family court may deal with things. The mediator will help you navigate your way through the process towards finding workable solution for you both that can then be made legally binding as part of your divorce or legal separation.
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.
Children & Family Mediation Specialists North Devon
Our head office is located in Plymouth, but we have trained and qualified mediators working remotely across the country. Most of our mediation is done 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 North Devon and surrounding areas including Bideford, Barnstaple, Ilfracombe, Braunton and South Molton.
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.
