LAKES

MEDIATION Cheshire

Helping couples across the North West resolve conflict around children and financial disputes themselves without the need of courts or solicitors…

Lakes Mediation Cheshire

There will always be disputes between families but choosing mediation is a better solution for dispute resolution – avoid court contact us today!

Lakes Mediation Cheshire

Finances

Arguments about money can cause severe tension in any family. That's why finance mediation is a crucial aspect of family mediation.

In finance mediation, a neutral mediator guides the parties involved in discussing their finances and coming to agreements in a non-confrontational and non-judgmental environment.

The mediator will help identify the issues, outline options and craft a mutually acceptable agreement.

It can cover anything from a divorce agreement to business disputes or inheritance conflicts. Lakes Mediation team has extensive experience in financial mediation and can help your family reach an agreement that works for each side.

Find Out More About Financial Disputes

Children

When parents decide to separate, the most challenging aspect can be deciding what's best for the children.

Children mediation can provide a safe space to explore the best possible outcome for everyone involved. With the help of a trained mediator, parents can work together to create a co-parenting plan that meets the needs of the children.

The mediator can offer guidance on how to communicate effectively and avoid placing the children in the middle of the conflict.

At Lakes Mediation, their mediators are experts at helping parents focus on the priorities, especially regarding the children, and come to mutual agreements that will benefit all family members.

Learn More About Child Access

Grandparents

Grandparents often have a special relationship with their grandchildren and can become affected when they’re not able to see them.

Through grandparent mediation, grandparents can express their concerns and, in many cases, come to agreements on visitation and communication with their grandchildren.

Grandparent mediation gives grandparents a voice in court and helps to foster a healthy relationship with their grandchildren.

Explore More on Child Maintenance

Pension

In family mediation, pension-related concerns are commonly addressed. The mediator can help parties to identify the various types of pensions, their value, and how they should be divided.
The process ensures that both parties have a comprehensive understanding of the pension division process.
Pension sharing can also be discussed in mediation. The mediator can refer parties to a financial advisor to provide further guidance.

Understand More About Pension

HOME OWNERSHIP

In cases where a family dispute involves the division of property, family mediation can offer a more comfortable and peaceful alternative to the court.
One of the most common issues in property disputes is deciding who gets ownership of the family home.
Mediation can help avoid costly litigation, as well as allow for more creative solutions to be reached such as buyout options or splitting of assets.
Mediation also allows parties to preserve their relationships, which may be important especially when children are involved.

See More About Home Ownership

Child Arrangements Order Cheshire

Arrangements for School Holidays

One of the primary things that a child arrangement order addresses is how parents will share the responsibilities of raising their child.

This includes deciding who the child will live with, how often they will see the other parent, and how they will share expenses related to the child’s care. Additionally, the order may specify arrangements for school holidays, which can be a contentious issue for separated parents.

When deciding on arrangements for school holidays, the court will take into account the child’s age and needs, as well as the parents’ schedules and availability. For example, if one parent has a more flexible job or schedule, they may be responsible for taking care of the child during school holidays.

Ultimately, the goal of the arrangement is to ensure that both parents have meaningful and consistent relationships with the child, even if they are not living together.

Arrangements for Christmas

Christmas is a special time, especially for children. When parents separate, however, it can turn into a stressful and complicated time, particularly when it comes to making arrangements for the child.

A Child Arrangements Order can specify which parent the child should spend Christmas with and on what dates.

The order can also include provisions for parents to communicate with each other over the Christmas period, allowing the child to speak and spend time with both parents.

Arrangements for Birthdays

Birthdays are another occasion that can be challenging for parents to navigate after separation.

Many parents want to spend this special day with their child, but it can be difficult to decide on how to split the day or who will have the child on their actual birthday. In some cases, the court may specify that the child spends half the day with one parent and half with the other.

However, it’s worth remembering that the specifics of the arrangements will depend on the unique circumstances of each family. What is most important is that the arrangement is fair, consistent, and in the best interests of the child.

Spousal Maintenance Cheshire

Often, when a couple breaks up it becomes necessary to discuss spousal maintenance or alimony. The process is often emotionally charged, but mediation provides a sense of collaboration and understanding. The following are the benefits of spousal maintenance:

Flexibility: Mediation is not a one-size-fits-all solution, so it allows for more flexibility in creating unique solutions to the issue.
Neutral mediator: The mediator is a neutral third-party to facilitate discussion and assist the couple in reaching a solution that is satisfactory to both parties.
Saves time: With mediation, the process can be handled in a few sessions, sometimes even in one session. It takes much longer to resolve matters in court.
Confidentiality: In divorce cases, financial and emotional information can be particularly sensitive. Mediation ensures that matters are kept private and confidential.

Why Choose lakes Mediation Cheshire Over Court?

Why Mediation Is Needed

When disagreements arise within families, it’s not uncommon for people to resort to legal action. However, this approach often leads to hostility and can communicate a lack of willingness to listen or understand, which is not ideal for ongoing co-parenting arrangements or reconciliations.

Family mediation, on the other hand, provides a forum for the parties to communicate and discuss their issues openly and neutrally. A mediator is trained to facilitate communication and ensure a safe space where all parties can speak without fear of escalation.

This helps to ensure that all parties are heard, and all concerns are addressed, which can result in an amicable resolution to the conflict.

Is It Legally Binding?

One of the most common questions about family mediation is whether it’s legally binding. The answer is no, family mediation is not legally binding by itself. However, if the parties come to an agreement during mediation, they can choose to make it legally binding by signing a consent order. A consent order is a legal document that outlines how the parties have agreed to settle their legal dispute.

This means that family mediation can provide the framework and foundation for a legally binding resolution, but it’s up to the parties to finalize it. The courts will recognize a consent order as a legally binding contract, and will enforce it accordingly.

What Is
Mediation?

At Lakes Mediation, we offer family mediation services to individuals in the community who wish to resolve disputes without resorting to legal action.

Our team of certified mediators has years of experience in the field, and we pride ourselves on providing a safe, neutral, and specialized area for our clients to find resolution.

Our mediators are trained to facilitate communication between the parties and guide them through the negotiation process, with the goal of finding mutually agreeable solutions that will work for all parties involved.

Benefits of Lakes Mediation Cheshire

Family conflicts can be difficult to navigate, especially when emotions run high and communication breaks down. When disputes escalate, legal battles often follow. However, there is another way to resolve family conflicts that is much less stressful and costly. Family mediation is a process where a third-party mediator helps two or more parties negotiate and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of family mediation and why you should consider it as an alternative to litigation.

Mediating can help in several ways, including:

providing a less stressful way of dealing with sensitive matters
facilitating communication and helping you sort out future arrangements
making it easier to review and change arrangements as long as both parties agree
and being a faster and cheaper way of resolving disputes.

MIAMS Session

To what end does a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) serve?

The initial consultation with a trained family mediator to discuss whether or not mediation could help you resolve your dispute outside of court is called a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM).

Mediators Role

The mediator’s job is to help you and the other parent talk through your problems, consider possible solutions, evaluate how well they would work inpractise, and ultimately agree on the best course of action.

In shuttle mediation, the disputing parties are separated into separate rooms, and the mediator “shuttles” between them until they strike a compromise.

Confidential

The mediator is obligated to retain in strictest confidence any information shared with them during the mediation process.
Since is it can be or at any if it becomes that one or both aren’t a through it.

It is the mediator’s responsibility to ensure that the interests and perspectives of the children involved are taken into account.

Miams

A MIAM, or Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting, is a meeting that is often required before starting the mediation process. A MIAM is a chance for each party to meet with a qualified mediator who will explain the process of mediation, answer any questions they may have, and assess whether mediation is suitable for their situation.

SUCCESS STORIES
From Lakes Mediation Cheshire Clients

After our divorce I was seeing less and less of the children. Things were becoming strained and as I work shifts it was stressful. With Lakes help we sorted out an access plan within 2 short sessions thank you!

J. Evans

Lincs

The option of shuttle and online mediation made things possible for us. After years of arguments I was amazed that we reached a financial decision within a 4 sessions. We are now both able to move forward.

B. Smith

Cumbria

When our relationship ended we were unable to come to an agreement on our business we built together. Lakes mediation held a safe and confidential space for us to come to a mutual agreement and avoid the stress and cost of court. Thank you!

V. Frazier

Newcastle