Mediation Solicitors

Free initial mediation consultations with our family law experts

We assist couples in managing the practical aspects of separation with expertise and compassion.

Family Law Icon

Mediation FAQs

Your mediator is a mutual third party. They will not judge or criticise you and they will not take sides. Their role is as an impartial third party who works with you and your former partner to help you move on from a relationship as cleanly and amicably as possible. You will have private meetings with a mediator, yourself and your former partner. You may wish to instruct a solicitor to provide you with legal advice between the mediation sessions.

Communication is often the first thing that breaks down when a relationship begins to fail. It can become difficult to see things from your former partner’s perspective. Such people give up trying and simply stop communicating altogether. Your situation may not be quite as extreme, but you may also find it hard to discuss the things you need to with your former partner. That is why a mediator can really help. Your mediator will work with you, they will listen separately to what you and your former partner have to say and help you each to see things from the other person’s point of view.

Mediation is not an instant solution but tends to be far quicker than negotiations between lawyers or court cases. That is because it is a concentrated effort over a period of weeks through a series of face to face meetings. While the mediator helps guide discussions and timings, you are in control of the process, so you decide how quickly things get resolved. It is the mediator’s role to encourage cooperation and to avoid the delays that can happen when there is a stalemate between you.

It is not a pre-requisite; any separating or divorcing couple can turn to family mediation but where children are involved there is even more reason to maintain an amicable relationship. However strongly that you feel that your relationship as a couple is over, it is important to recognise that it is not always possible or practical to completely break the ties with your former partner. It is beneficial to stay on the best possible terms, which makes everything a little bit easier for the future. This is especially so if you have children, as your joint parental responsibility carries on. Parents who are able to get along following a separation make it easier for the children to cope with new arrangements, in both the short and the long term.

Mediation is an opportunity to lay your cards on the table in terms of how you would like to move on and the arrangements you would like to put in place. It is also a chance to find common ground with your former partner and understand in a calm and safe environment more about their perspective on the situation.

It is often the case that one partner is more aware of the family circumstances than the other. Perhaps you feel that they have a better understanding of the family situation than you do. Through mediation you will get a better understanding of your family issues. It is the mediator’s job to guide you to make these things clearer to both of you.

Mediation is your chance to get the result that you are happy with. You do not have to agree to everything you do not want to or do not understand and it is up to the mediator to make sure that all avenues you wish to discuss towards settlement are explored. As you and your former partner have an equal input throughout, it is fair to you both. A successful mediation needs to agree proposals for the future. The proposals will have been discussed and negotiated through mediation to make sure that each party understands the implications of agreeing to particular arrangements. This is crucial to reaching outcomes that work on a long-term basis because you will each have played an active role in the process of putting them in place.

If there is protracted negotiation through solicitors or proceedings through court, the legal costs can spiral. Mediation is usually a lot less expensive and you often share the costs between you. Legal Aid is also available for mediation in certain cases.

If you have been in full control of shaping proposals, you are going to be more inclined to continue with it than if it had been imposed upon you. That is one of the real valuable differences between mediation and the court process. Although mediation proposals are not legally binding, you and your former partner can instruct solicitors or apply to the court to formalise them so that if either of you change your minds, there are ways of putting things right.

If you want to alter the arrangements as your own circumstances change, you can always return to mediation in the future.

Resolution members sign up to a code of practice which commits them to working with their clients in a constructive and non-confrontational way and to talk them through all the options available to them. At the heart of the Resolution code is a focus on considering the needs of the whole family, and crucially, putting the interests of children first. A Resolution member aims to help a couple reach an agreement without going to court.

Mediation agreements are not legally binding in the UK, however, they can be drafted into a legally binding order once the divorce proceedings begin. This gives both parties the opportunity to request a revision of what had previously been agreed.

Whilst you do not need a solicitor to embark on mediation, you will need to appoint one when seeking legal counsel. You will also need a solicitor when you have reached an agreement with your mediator. For many, employing a solicitor that is also qualified to mediate is the most effective option.

Can’t see what you’re looking for?

Send us your questions via the contact form and we will be happy to assist.

How can we help?

We’re here to offer family legal advice you can count on

See what our customers say…

Excellent

Based on 506 reviews
08 Jul 2025

What should have been a relatively…

What should have been a relatively straightforward sale became more complex after part of the chain fell through but Sylvia Garcia worked with us throughout the process and we managed to get it over the line after a lot of work. Highly recommended


Thomas Luby
06 Jul 2025

Very clear

Very clear, professional, friendly and helpful initial meeting that covered aspects we hadn’t considered. After which all our questions were dealt with promptly as everything fell into place in the agreed timelines.


Mr Ed Gardner
30 Jun 2025

Flat buying process

I used Eric Robinson Solicitors to help purchase my first home and Chantelle couldn’t have been more helpful with the process, she constantly gave me updates and was very helpful with any inquiries I had, would definitely recommend them if you’re buying a home.


Dom
26 Jun 2025

Sylvia Garcia

Sylvia Garcia, delt with the selling of my mums flat. It turned into a marathon, due to the buyers solicitors being incompetent and the buyer stalling for time. Sylvia was very much on my side but it was an emotional time for me. Sylvia was very professional with emails and always got back to me when l left a message. As an older person l would have liked to engage with someone face to face and didn’t realise Sylvia was working remotely. But, we got there in the end. And l thank her for her time and patience.


Marcia Taylor
18 Jun 2025

Great service

I found Terry Campbell-Barnard to be very knowledgeable and to have a very practical approach with a great attention to detail. His work was also undertaken in a very timely manner. I can therefore very much recommend him.


Nigel Fox
16 Jun 2025

Helpful conveyancing team

Thanks to Sylvia Garcia and her team I successfully completed my flat purchase. As a first time buyer, she simplified the conveyance process and was very patient, polite and understanding, helping me resolve a tricky situation and getting the transaction over the line.


Carol Hughes
08 Jul 2025

What should have been a relatively…

What should have been a relatively straightforward sale became more complex after part of the chain fell through but Sylvia Garcia worked with us throughout the process and we managed to get it over the line after a lot of work. Highly recommended


Thomas Luby
06 Jul 2025

Very clear

Very clear, professional, friendly and helpful initial meeting that covered aspects we hadn’t considered. After which all our questions were dealt with promptly as everything fell into place in the agreed timelines.


Mr Ed Gardner
30 Jun 2025

Flat buying process

I used Eric Robinson Solicitors to help purchase my first home and Chantelle couldn’t have been more helpful with the process, she constantly gave me updates and was very helpful with any inquiries I had, would definitely recommend them if you’re buying a home.


Dom
26 Jun 2025

Sylvia Garcia

Sylvia Garcia, delt with the selling of my mums flat. It turned into a marathon, due to the buyers solicitors being incompetent and the buyer stalling for time. Sylvia was very much on my side but it was an emotional time for me. Sylvia was very professional with emails and always got back to me when l left a message. As an older person l would have liked to engage with someone face to face and didn’t realise Sylvia was working remotely. But, we got there in the end. And l thank her for her time and patience.


Marcia Taylor
18 Jun 2025

Great service

I found Terry Campbell-Barnard to be very knowledgeable and to have a very practical approach with a great attention to detail. His work was also undertaken in a very timely manner. I can therefore very much recommend him.


Nigel Fox
16 Jun 2025

Helpful conveyancing team

Thanks to Sylvia Garcia and her team I successfully completed my flat purchase. As a first time buyer, she simplified the conveyance process and was very patient, polite and understanding, helping me resolve a tricky situation and getting the transaction over the line.


Carol Hughes
View all reviews

Book a free family law consultation

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Why choose Eric Robinson Solictors?

  • Straightforward jargon free advice that is tailored to your specific needs
  • Cost effective legal services that give you peace of mind
  • Providing expert and trustworthy legal advice for over 60 years
  • 6 offices located throughout Hampshire and London