1. Do not forget the reason you have come to mediation, which is to find a solution to the problem.
Family mediation Bristol will only be beneficial if you are committed to trying to find answers to the problems that are worrying you. It is advantageous to keep an open mind in order to consider what you might accomplish as well as what you want to accomplish, and for both of you to really listen to the other person’s point of view. If you have a deeper knowledge and are more aware of the other person’s difficulties, you will be in a better position to address them with the help of the mediator and reach a solution that is mutually agreeable.
If at all possible, you should try to change the way you perceive your ex-spouse so that you no longer view him or her as an ex but rather as a co-parent or co-owner of property who shares your desire to resolve the issue. If there are kids involved, you should try to understand things from their perspective and think about how the two of you might be able to meet their needs as effectively as possible both now and in the future. The fact that you both have children will always serve as a link between you, even if you two had the option to choose to separate. It’s probable that you’ll have to go to school events like school plays or parents‘ nights together. Furthermore, one day your children will finish school, start dating, get married, and perhaps have their own children. If you and your spouse have children, it is imperative that you develop a creative plan for working together as parents.
2. Be conscious of the impact of your words and actions during the mediation process, and acknowledge and accept responsibility for those impacts.
During the course of a Mediation Bristol session, one’s emotions may reach quite high levels. Mediators are aware that there is a natural propensity for parties involved in a dispute to debate over what went wrong or to become fixated on a certain occurrence regarding which they are aware that they disagree. You will both know precisely what to say to one another to get them worked up, as is the case with all individuals who have previously shared a close connection. When it comes to relationships, everyone has their own truth, and individuals always have a different point of view on the same situation. It’s possible that you’ll never be able to persuade the other person to see things from your perspective, and you could discover that accepting that you and the other person simply can’t see things the same way frees you up to focus on the pressing problems that brought you into family mediation.
Understand that the mediator will remain neutral throughout the process, so there is no benefit in attempting to persuade them that your point of view is the right one. It is up to you both to decide how to move forward in a way that is fair and that you both can live with, with the mediator’s help. A future direction that the two of you can agree on. Perhaps it would be preferable for you both to come to your own agreements that are suited to your individual requirements rather than an agreement that could be ordered by the court. In actuality, and based on our prior experiences, we have discovered that court agreements rarely work for both parties.
Improvement becomes easier if you are able to resist the urge to fight fire with fire and instead concentrate on the problems rather than the person, we frequently find that such an attitude by one is reciprocated by the other. Before responding to anything, give yourself some time to think it over, and always keep your long-term objectives in mind.
3. Make sure you are informed of the best and worst possible possibilities to reaching a settlement through mediation.
It can be beneficial to have a clear idea of the type of resolution you are willing to accept before going to mediation. Understanding your alternatives, however, can also be beneficial. The primary alternative choice that individuals assume they have in the majority of the issues they face is to go to court, however this is not always the case. Cohesive legislation may offer the tools for a breakthrough, or conversations through solicitors without filing a court application may help to resolve some concerns that you do not feel capable of discussing face-to-face in mediation. Additionally, mediation might be able to assist you in finding a resolution to the issue you are now facing.
For some people, staying quiet may be the best course of action. But in family law, there is always a considerable risk that failure to act will lead to the opposing party asking the court. Even if you take no action, this could still occur. The other person might assume that you are purposely delaying or refusing to engage in efforts to find a solution to the situation since you haven’t taken any action. Going to court and asking a judge to rule would unquestionably be more expensive than mediation, and the result would not be as certain. The question you should be asking yourself is whether or not accepting these risks is something that is worthwhile for you to undertake, when measured against the solution that is being offered.
4. Take legal guidance.
We highly advise that everyone who comes to us for mediation seek legal help before agreeing to a mediated solution, even if a significant portion of the clients who come to us for mediation are referred to us by our former clients. You are allowed to seek legal assistance at any time while the Mediation Bristol process is underway, even if you prefer to examine the issues at hand through mediation. After you both have given the mediator your financial information, particularly in a financial mediation. Your mediator will give you some advice on how to approach your conflict resolution as well as an idea of what a court order would look like given the specific details of your situation. Although they are allowed to share legal information, mediators cannot give specific legal advice. With the aid of the legal advisers offered to you by your solicitor, you will be able to evaluate your alternatives for a mediated resolution.
However, it is crucial to remember that the Mediation Bristol process and the court process are two quite different forums for settling disagreements. On a good day, you and your partner might be able to convince a judge to grant you and your partner a financial settlement, but it might come at a significant financial cost to you both. Mediation can be specifically designed to match your schedule, as opposed to filing a lawsuit in court, which can take many months to a year or more before it results in a final verdict.
5. Take a long-term approach.
Many people discover that working through issues in Mediation Bristol gives them a stronger feeling of closure when it comes to financial or property matters than if they had remote negotiations or had a court resolve the subject on their behalf. This is particularly true when compared to how these scenarios turn out. If your disputes involve your children, mediation gives you the opportunity to try a fresh way of talking to each other about parenting and a process that will help you do so in a helpful way while working with a skilled third party.
However, mediation can give you the chance to explain what you want your own future to look like and see whether or not that vision might be shared by both parties. It can be difficult and even frightening to leave the past, which you are familiar with, behind and look to the future, with all of its unknowns. You would be surprised to learn how frequently it occurs.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us 03300 101 367 if you require any further information or have any specific questions.
