Increasingly, the Courts expect litigants to make genuine efforts to use mediation before commencing legal proceedings and at various stages after legal proceedings have begun. The Courts are now making expensive costs orders against parties who refuse to go to mediation, or do not cooperate with the mediation process. Mediation and Alternative Disputes Resolution (ADR) mean the same thing.

The process itself involves the parties meeting with a qualified Mediator. More often than not the parties will meet each other in the company of the Mediator, but even that is not always necessary. Sometimes the situation that has developed between the parties will have become so acrimonious that they cannot bear to see or speak to the other side. In a Court process meeting each other is inevitable. Not so in mediation.

The mediation process allows a totally neutral Mediator to facilitate understanding between parties on as many matters as possible. A mediation will be successful even if only a part of a dispute is resolved, misunderstandings removed, issues narrowed down and the commercial risks and good sense of going forward into Court proceedings made clear to the parties.

We can offer Mediation within the context of Legal Aid.  We have been awarded the Mediation Quality Mark by the Legal Services Commission.

We are able to offer mediation in Dorchester, Weymouth, Bournemouth, Southampton, Bridport and Blandford.

Mediation is often used when two or more parties are in dispute.

Please click here to complete our Referral Form.

Please click here to view our Leaflet about Mediation.

If you prefer, you can download our Referral Form by clicking here and send back to us at either address below.

Testimonials:

"Thank you for all your help and getting it sorted in a very short time.  I am very happy now and moving on with my life."