Frequently Asked Questions

There is hugh pressure on our mediators' diaries, and it essential that we do not lose spaces for those seeking our services as a result of late cancellations or missed appointments. Accordingly, we do have to charge for appointments that are missed or which are cancelled by you at short notice. This is how it works:

• If an appointment is cancelled more than 5 working days before the meeting, no cancellation fee is payable.
• If an appointment is cancelled more than 48 hours but less than 5 working days before the meeting, then a cancellation fee of £30 is payable
• If an appointment is cancelled less than 48 hours before the meeting, then a cancellation fee of £65 is payable.

The different level of cancellation fees reflects the fact that, the later an appointment is cancelled, the less likely it is that we will be able to reallocate the time to someone else.

The number of mediation sessions needed depends on the issues that you want to discuss.  It is also flexible, so if you need extra sessions, these are available.  If you reach agreements positively and quickly, you may not need all the initially proposed sessions. The time between sessions can also vary.  In some cases, you may need to obtain information such as property or pension valuations, or advice from a financial advisor or pension actuary, to enable you to continue and so we will agree to meet again once these have been determined.

In cases concerning children, two or three mediation sessions are likely to be sufficient in most cases. For financial matters, between three and five sessions will be required in most cases, depending upon the complexity of the issues involved.

After each session, a Mediation Progress summary will be sent to both of you, recording what has been discussed, to summarise any issues that have been resolved between you.

If you and your wife or partner both agree to proceed with mediation after the initial meeting, we can arrange a joint mediation session. In the first joint session, we can talk in more detail about the issues you wish to resolve and start the process.  You may want to discuss what will happen to the family home, where each of you will live, and what will happen about your other capital assets, savings and pensions.

If children are involved, we can talk about schooling, where the children will live, contact arrangements, holidays, birthdays and many other aspects.  We can also talk about new relationships, step families, parenting plans and many other things, so that both parties can have their wishes and concerns heard, in order that together a plan can be created to ensure that the children’s needs are addressed and understood.

A summary of your discussions will be sent to you after each mediation session. Once you both agree what proposals you would like to take forward on financial matters, we create two documents; the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Open Financial Statement (OFS). A copy of the MOU and the OFS will be given to both parties and you will be encouraged to take legal advice on what you have both agreed, so that it can be formalised by your solicitors.  Please note that your proposals will only become binding if you ask your lawyers to create a legally binding agreement; A Consent Order which will need to be approved by the court. If you do not wish to start divorce proceedings yet or if you are unmarried, a Separation Agreement can be prepared to formalise your agreement.

In matters relating to children, a Parenting Plan will be prepared with you agreed proposals. Again, you may wish to seek legal advice on what you have agreed so that it can be formalised as an agreement through your solicitors.

If at any point a new issue should arise or the situation changes and you are not able to initially agree on an alternative solution, you can return to mediation to work through to create a new agreement that addresses those changes.

Appointments are available at various locations throughout Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. We have a dedicated room, so that you have guaranteed privacy and feel comfortable and at ease discussing the issues.  It will be the same mediator and the same room each time, providing you with a consistent approach to help you concentrate on dealing with the issues at each session. We are also happy to travel to your local area.