National Reputation, Local Presence

Collaborative Law & Mediation               

   

  • The process of separation and relationship breakdown is recognised as one of the most stressful events of life, and how each person handles this can have important and far reaching consequences for their own emotional well being long term and that of any children involved. For many people caught up in this situation, this will be the first time that you have required the service of a solicitor for anything other than buying a house, and the unfamiliarity of this environment is bound to add to the stress of an uncertain future which feels beyond your control.  
  • Mediation and latterly, the Collaborative Law process, is designed to enable you to regain control of this situation and to reach agreement about all issues including arrangements for children and financial settlements at a pace that suits you and your family. There are no easy solutions to these problems and a “one size fits all” approach does not work where each family is unique and the personalities involved are different. Traditional mediation methods are aimed at enabling parties to reach agreements together and are intended to be an alternative to the Court process, which can often inflame the situation and foster animosity which is counter productive and potentially expensive. If mediation fails for any reason, the Court process is however available to impose a solution in the most difficult cases and our team can assist at each stage of the process.
  • Collaborative Law takes the mediation process to the next level because all parties sign up to an agreement that specifically excludes the Court process. If agreement cannot be reached by this method, both sets of lawyers are barred from involvement in the Court process should this become necessary. It is a four way agreement involving both parties and their Collaborative Law solicitors who are specially trained to operate in a non-confrontational, constructive way to assist you and your spouse to find your settlement.