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Professional rules prevent Solicitors from representing both parties in family cases even where the parties want to and are civil to each other. When I was in practice as a Solicitor I found that there were a large number of clients wishing to meet with me with their partner.   There is formal mediation which is set out below.   I offer a choice of informal mediation or a referral to formal mediation where you are both looking to reach agreement or have even partially reached agreement and are able to be relatively civil to each other.  

 

Informal mediation like formal mediation promotes building positive relationships and is less stressful and a more cost effective way of dealing with matters.   With my sessions you only pay for the session and not individually.  

 

I can assist both of you where you are relatively civil to each other and want to reach agreement on family law matters.  Having an experienced McKenzie Friend with you can help you both to:

 

• Identify Issues -  often clients need to identify smaller issues which need to resolved,  before the major issues can be agreed.  Once the smaller issues are identifed and discussed, clients find that the major issues are much easier to deal with.  Sometimes clients need help to identify the issues that need to agreed, which can start the journey towards agreement. 

• Information  - I can help you identify if further information (if any) is requried to enable you to reach agreement.  I can also help you source this information.  

• Guidance -  It is so easy to get off track in discussions where nothing can get agreed.  I can direct you back to the issues and make suggestions as to the options available to you both.  New options can come to light during these discussions so that agreement becomes possible.  

• Agreement  -  I provide an environment in whch you can discuss and agree smaller issues aswell as the the major issues to ensure you are clear on what has and what has not been agreed.  In my experience, clients can come to the sessions saying nothing is agreed to find that some of the issues have been agreed so that acknowledgement of that can be built upon.        

• Documented  -  the discussions are documented during the meeting and afterwards I send you a written sumary of the discussions together with a schedule of what has been agreed and what needs to be agreed.  

 

These meetings can either be a starting point to moving towards agreement or enabling agreement to be reached between you both.  

 

Contact me here for further information or for a free initial consultation.