This week is family mediation week, which is an annual campaign organised by the Family Mediation Council aimed at promoting mediation. Gone are the days when contacting a Family Lawyer automatically means Court and Family Mediation Week is a reminder that instructing a solicitor does not have to mean conflict and hostility.
One Couple, One Lawyer:
Since the introduction of our One Couple, One Lawyer Service, many of our clients have benefitted from an amicable separation, working collaboratively together to achieve an outcome that is right for them. This is a true alternative to the traditional adversarial approach, which we are proud to be able to offer at Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice. The service enables separating couples to instruct a single specialist family lawyer based at our offices to provide advice to both parties. We have seen our clients benefitting from this service and the feedback received has been extremely positive.
You can read more about the One Couple, One Lawyer service here: https://wendyhopkins.co.uk/services/one-couple-one-lawyer/
Mediation:
Mediation helps separating couples to resolve disputes and it can be done by way of one of the following options:
- Traditional mediation – both participants in the same room with a mediator;
- Shuttle mediation – parties are in separate rooms;
- Hybrid mediation – involving solicitors, accountants, independent financial advisers, psychiatrists, social workers, valuers etc. in the process;
- Child-inclusive mediation – the mediator speaks to the children involved to understand their views so that their views can be fed back to the parents.
There can also be specific mediators instructed to deal with discreet issues such as medication or schooling.
Round-table meetings/joint settlement meetings:
At Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice, we often host and promote round-table meetings or joint settlement meetings either prior to the Court process in order to settle matters without going to Court or during the Court process in order to settle matters between hearings and as quickly as possible. We find that these meetings assist with settling matters quickly and efficiently, saving on legal fees and if no full settlement can be reached, issues are often narrowed substantively.
Arbitration:
Arbitration is often used to ensure that couples resolve their dispute more quickly and confidentially in a settling that is less formal than Court (often at our offices). An arbitrator is appointed and deals with all stages of the case from start to finish.
Private FDR:
As part of the Court process, the Court will list an FDR hearing. This is short for Financial Dispute Resolution and it is the second hearing within Financial Remedy Proceedings. This is a negotiation hearing and the aim is to settle matters based on the Judge’s indication. In a private FDR, parties jointly appoint an independent private Judge who will provide an indication on how the financial issues in the case should be resolved. A private FDR takes place at a neutral venue and the benefit is that the private Judge will have read the case in its entirety and will be able to provide a detailed indication. The private FDR Judge is then on hand all day to assist with steering the case to settlement.
There is a real drive from the Court system to ensure that Alternative Dispute Resolution takes place and we at Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice can see the benefit of this. Not only does it offer parties the ability to take control of the process and the decision making, it assists parties in reaching a resolution that is tailor-made to suit their family without it having been imposed on them by somebody else.
Should you have any further queries in relation to the services offered as outlined above, please do not hesitate to contact us.
T: 029 2034 2233
E: Enquiries@wendyhopkins.co.uk
Author: Fay Jones
Published: 30.01.26