AQs – Lawyer-Supported Mediation
How much will it all cost?
We have devised an entire range of fixed legal fees to match your individual circumstances. But even without knowing your specific circumstances, we can say with some confidence that lawyer-supported mediation offers best value compared to lawyer-led negotiations, collaborative law and most certainly court action. And a key advantage of choosing lawyer-supported mediation is finding out in advance just how much it’s all going to cost. That’s why prior to commencing lawyer-supported mediation, participating lawyers will provide you each with a full cost breakdown that includes: a provisional fixed legal fee, a guide to the cost of mediation and any applicable court fees. Note you do not incur any fees until you are happy with the information that you have received and you both want to meet the mediator.
Do I have to pay all the fees up front?
Not at all. Our payment structure has been designed firmly with clients’ pockets in mind. As such, you’ll be asked to pay your fixed legal fee in three equal tranches: before, during and following the conclusion of family mediation. And when it comes to mediation, you pay your share of costs on a per session basis. We do this to guard against you and your separating partner being unfairly penalised in the event of family mediation breaking down before an agreement is reached.
How successful is lawyer-supported mediation?
Lawyer-supported mediation is a new approach but according to figures released by the USA’s Legal Services Commission, the success rate of publicly funded mediations in 2009/2010 stood at 70%. We hope to improve on this figure by being the first to offer an approach that truly combines the complementary strengths of both lawyer and mediator.
What if lawyer-supported mediation fails?
The first thing to point out is that mediation works: government statistics show that of the thousands of couples that chose mediation between April 2011 and February 2012, over two-thirds (68%) reached an agreement. Mediation is however a voluntary process and can be withdrawn from at anytime. Should lawyer-supported mediation breakdown, or achieve only partial agreement, participating lawyers can be retained to pursue a full range of options, including recourse to the courts. Moreover, any time spent at mediation may have brought deal breaker issues into shaper focus allowing for more efficient intervention by lawyers thereafter.