Family Mediation Lawyers
Family Mediation in Hampshire to help minimise conflict & reduce stress
Couples seek Mediation for several reasons, whether that be financial disputes, children agreements and property matters. In many cases, couples may be amicable and believe they are not yet at the stage for a Solicitor or the courtroom. Mediation provides a space for both individuals to open up about the issues they are facing in a calm and respectful manner.
A mediator does not give legal advice but acts as a neutral party and will guide the conversation to ensure both individuals are participating fairly. At Lamb Brooks, our mediation service helps couples clarify their goals, explore practical options, and work toward a mutual resolution, avoiding the emotional and financial impact of going to court.
Sarah Healy is a qualified Solicitor and has worked predominantly as a Family Solicitor for her career. She is also a qualified Family Mediator and completed Mediation training via Resolution. Resolution is a respected community of family justice professionals who work with families and individuals to resolve issues in a constructive way.
With extensive experience in family law, Sarah brings a calm, solution-focused approach to her work. She is a skilled listener and is passionate about helping families find cooperative alternatives to traditional dispute resolution to promote long term understanding and reduce future conflict. In her role as a Family Solicitor, Sarah advises clients on all areas of divorce, and the resolution of matrimonial finances, property and children matters. She focusses on their goals and advises clients on the best course of action and to help them navigate problems in a pragmatic manner.
Sarah is able to work with couples within Mediation to assist in focusing them on their priorities and work together to reach ways forward suitable for each and both of them as well as any children involved.
Ready to speak with us? Give us a call on 01256 844 888 or send us an email on enquiries@lambbrooks.com. We’ll be happy to explain how we can support you and guide you through the next steps.
What is Mediation?
Mediation allows you and your partner to resolve important issues such as finances, children, and property, in a constructive and collaborative setting. The Mediator is an independent and neutral professional who helps facilitate the conversation in a setting which is safe, open and respectful, focussing on solutions for the parties and ensuring they are participating fairly.
Related services
The benefits of Family Mediation
- Encourages cooperation and collaboration rather than confrontation
- Private and confidential
- Relaxed environment
- Disputes can often be resolved in a matter of weeks, compared to court
- Mediation is generally more cost effective than going to court
- Allows for both parties to be heard and acknowledged in a calmer setting
- Mediation works to a timetable which everyone is comfortable with and will be agreed between all involved
How does Family Mediation work?
Your family mediator will listen to both of you to find out what is important and help you make choices and decisions about the best ways forward.
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Get in contact
One or both parties contact Lamb Brooks about their mediation service and express interest in starting the process. At this stage, an initial discussion will be had to discuss the process, considering suitability for mediation, and costs will be discussed.
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Attend mediation information & assessment meeting
Next, each person attends a separate initial meeting with the mediator to assess whether mediation is suitable. The mediation approach will be explained to you to ensure you are entering into it voluntarily.
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Attend joint mediation sessions
If both parties agree to move forward and the mediator considers it suitable to proceed, your joint sessions will be arranged. On average these sessions last between 1-2 hours. The mediator will look to help you reach practical solutions that will work for you and, if applicable, your children.
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Contact your lawyer to review (optional)
The mediator will not be able to advise you, but you can consult your own lawyer at any time to take legal advice on what is best for you.
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Agreements reached
Once you are both satisfied with the decisions you have reached within mediation, you will be provided with confirmation of these from your mediator within a document known as a Memorandum of Understanding and an Open Financial Statement. These decisions will need to be taken and checked by your lawyer to formalise.
Our Mediation costs
To find out more about Mediation and our associated costs, please contact Sarah Healy on sarah.healy@lambbrooks.com
As part of our Mediation Services for Families, we offer:
Lamb Brooks’ Mediator, Sarah Healy, is an understanding and empathetic Solicitor who has worked in Family Law for over 8 years. Sarah’s compassionate approach helps clients feel supported and heard throughout the mediation process, enabling them to reach practical and amicable solutions during what can often be a highly emotional and challenging time.
Mediation typically begins when both individuals contact Sarah to start the process. She will first arrange separate initial sessions with each party to understand their individual perspectives.
Following these individual meetings, joint sessions will be scheduled to work through the issues together. The number of joint sessions required will vary depending on the couple's unique circumstances, but on average, most couples require between 3 to 5 sessions. However, this can differ from case to case.
Once the joint sessions are complete, Sarah will prepare a comprehensive proposal covering key areas such as arrangements for children, finances, property, pensions, and any other matters that are important to the couple.
This proposal will then need to be reviewed and formalised by a Solicitor to ensure it is legally binding.
FAQs
The parties may individually reach out to Sarah Healy to gain further understanding of the Mediation service. Sarah will discuss with the individuals the approach and initially seek to invite them in for an initial individual meeting to discuss the options of mediation.
