A mediator can help families experiencing separation resolve arrangements including financial and child arrangements, without taking sides.
Mediation is not relationship counselling.
Mediation can help you agree on the details of how you’ll look after your children, such as:
- where they live
- when they spend time with each parent
- when and what other types of time with your child take place (phone calls, for example)
- child maintenance payments
Child Inclusive Mediation gives a child or young person the opportunity to meet and talk with a trained mediator who is helping the parents to reach an agreement. More information can be found here.
Mediation can help you resolve financial arrangements such as where you will live and what will happen to income, capital property, pension, and debt.
When you reach an agreement, the mediator will put it in writing and make sure you understand what it means. The agreement is not legally binding but you can make it legally binding by submitting a consent order to court on the same terms.
The mediator can decide mediation is not right for you (for example, if there’s been domestic abuse and you need to go to court instead).
More information about mediation, such as funding, can be found here.