Family Reflections Mediation
Supporting you to reach solutions
that reflect what's right
for you and your family
Welcome to Family Reflections Mediation
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Our aim
At Family Reflections Mediation, we aim to support you to make decisions concerning your children, property and finances following a separation and/or divorce, without going to court or alongside the family court process.
We're here to help you reflect on the past and the present to build for your future in a supportive and nurturing environment, as no one knows you and your children better than you do.
Our Mediator
Richard Gilbert
Richard has been a family lawyer for over 30 years and is currently in practice as a family solicitor with Spencer West.
Richard sees it as a privilege to be entrusted to guide and advise his clients who are going through a separation, divorce or dissolution. He also appreciates that a bad divorce can be a damaging and bruising experience, which is why he qualified 19 years ago as a collaborative family lawyer and more recently trained as a family mediator. He is currently going through his mediation accreditation.
Richard understands that a good divorce is not only better for the couple who are going their separate ways but also for their children and wider family.
Richard sees mediation as one of several tools that can help couples separate with dignity, while enabling clients to take a proactive, reflective and imaginative approach to their situation.
What we do
The mediation process provides a safe space for you and your ex to discuss and resolve issues such as:
- when to separate
- how and what to tell your children
- what will the arrangements for your children look like
- how much time will each child spend with each parent
- how to divide the assets of the relationship
- who will be responsible for the debts of the relationship
- who will pay child support and for how long
- whether maintenance is needed to support one party for a particular period and, if so, for how long
Mediation can be used to discuss any practical issues that affect you or your children in a neutral and supportive environment. It enables you to reach imaginative solutions within a legal framework that are not imposed on you by a judge.
What is mediation?
Family mediation is a process in which an independent, professionally trained mediator helps you to work out arrangements for children and finances following separation and/or divorce.
It can also be helpful when arrangements you made in the past need to change, particularly as your children get older or your personal or financial circumstances change.
Mediation helps you stay in control.
The mediator is there to help you and your ex find a solution that works for both of you and, where necessary, your children as well.
The mediator is not there to impose an outcome on you, which means that unlike a Judge, no-one will make you do anything you don’t want to do.
If you reach a solution that works for both you and your ex, the mediator will explain what needs to happen to make an agreement between you legally binding.
The process of mediation is designed to be less stressful and significantly quicker than going to court and can save you money.
We offer flexibility in the way we work with you to reach tailor-made solutions for your situation.
All our mediation sessions are remote (online), which ensures that you and your ex will not be in the same space while you go through the mediation process. If necessary, we can provide breakout rooms online.
The cost of mediation is usually shared equally between the parties attending the mediation sessions.
MIAM - Mediation Information & Assessment Meeting
Before you can attend a mediation session, you will need to have a first appointment with the mediator. This first meeting is often called a Mediation Information & Assessment Meeting or MIAM. Whatever this meeting is called, it will cover the same things.
The MIAM will last about an hour and provide you with an opportunity to tell the mediator about your situation and the issues that need to be resolved. The mediator will tell you about the mediation process and other options for reaching agreements.
At the end of the meeting, the mediator will tell you whether your case is suitable for mediation. You can then decide whether you want to proceed with mediation or explore another option for resolving your issues.
The mediator can also give you information about other services that might be able to provide you with help and support.
If you, your ex and the mediator all agree to try mediation, we will make an appointment for your first mediation session.
If you decide not to mediate, or mediation seems to be unsuitable for your circumstances, the mediator will have explained the range of other options for resolving your issues as part of the MIAM.
If you decide to make an application to court to resolve an issue discussed at the MIAM, you can ask the mediator to sign the court form needed to issue the application, as long as you attended the MIAM within the last four months.