How our online mediation services has helped clients across the UK
“Staff were friendly and understanding.” Megan, 42
“Everyone was willing to listen.” Paul, 56
“Outstanding service received. Really grateful for the help.” Mark, 31
“The service was speedy.” Jenny, 36
“We were able to sort this out without the stress of a court case.” Pete, 31
“Jane was really helpful, a very understanding mediator.” Clare, 36
Sue and Martin
Sue and Martin split up six months ago, after 4 years together. They had two very young children, who stayed living with Sue. Both Sue and Martin had found new partners since they split up.
Martin got in touch after hearing about Changing Futures Online Mediation from a friend. He wanted to be more involved in his children’s, Emily (aged 10) and Billy (aged 7), lives. Online mediation was ideal as Martin could fit sessions around his work shifts.
Sue and Martin met with Lynn, our Mediator, via Zoom.
The meeting was quite emotional, especially as they had tried so hard for so long for a baby and had split up so soon after Emily was born. The breakup had been really tough. It hurt to speak to each other. That said, both of them wanted what was best for the kids and they agreed a contact plan. This meant Martin would see Emily and Billy every week, on their birthdays and some of Christmas.
Martin gave money to help with bringing up Billy and Emily. After not too long, Billy and Emily was allowed to stay over at Martin’s girlfriends. Sue and Martin were able to get on better together and have conversations about the children.
Over time, they became more accepting of each other’s new partners being involved in the children’s lives.
Maisha and Aleksander
Maisha and Aleksander needed to sort out how money and the house was divided after they separated. They needed to do this to complete their divorce. They wanted to sort things out so that they could move forward.
Aleksander was living in army barracks while Maisha was living in the family home and paying the mortgage and debts. Living in barracks made it difficult to see his son, Bartek. They needed a mediator who could host mediation sessions over the internet.
They organised sessions via Zoom and talked with the help of our Mediator, Jane. They looked at how much money they each had coming in and how much was being paid out in bills and for other important things. They decided that the marital home should be sold with Maisha getting a bit more of the equity and some extra money. Aleksander decided to move into his own home so that he could have Bartek stay over.
Mediation helped Maisha and Aleksander sort out financial arrangements that were reasonable and fair.
They agreed everything in a ‘memorandum of understanding (or MOU)’. The MOU was used as the basis for their ‘consent order’. A consent order is an order made by a judge in divorce proceedings because people have made their own financial arrangements. This avoids the need for a court hearing.
Samantha and Clive
Samantha and Clive separated after they hit on hard times as a family because of unemployment and mental health problems. A solicitor referred Clive to Changing Futures Mediation.
Clive had a good relationship with his four children but contact between them got worse after he moved out of the family home. In the end, he hadn’t seen some of the children for months and was planning on going to court. Samantha had been told not to let Clive see the children by a professional working with the family. This was because one of the children had got lost when seeing Clive.
Both Samantha and Clive were really struggling and upset. The children wanted to see Clive.
Samantha agreed to mediate but she found travelling difficult as she relied on public transport. Online mediation suited both Clive and Samantha.
When Clive and Samantha spoke to each other with the help of our mediator, Lynda, they talked about their concerns and the children. They agreed to Clive having supervised contact of the children. After a few months, this changed to unsupervised contact.
Clive and Samantha got legal aid funding for mediation and sorted things out without the need for the stress, hassle and expense of court.
