We know the feeling: Christmas has used up all the money and there’s nothing but bills in the post.
But the fact is, if you are reading this blog, you are going through some sort of separation or divorce, and you are wondering what sort of professional help you should get. The last thing you want is an open-ended arrangement where costs mount invisibly with nothing to show for them except a huge, unexpected bill …
At Focus Mediation, we make two things absolutely clear: mediation is cheaper than using lawyers to negotiate your settlement, and all the costs are known in advance.
Why is it cheaper? Because you each pay half our hourly rate. When you pay a lawyer to represent you, you pay the entire hourly rate. With both of you there in the room with the mediator, you share it. It’s that simple. So, a lawyer might charge you £280 + VAT per hour (this varies, of course, and some offer fixed fee packages). We charge each of you £140 + VAT per hour.
We also charge you at the same rate for any documents we draw up: your Financial Statement, which captures all your figures in one place, and your Memorandum of Understanding or Parenting Plan, which records your Agreement.
We do NOT charge for emails or phone calls.
So, the typical cost of mediation looks like this (costs are per person, but will vary according to time actually taken):
One session of 1.5 hours sorting out arrangements for your children: £252 including VAT. Simple Parenting Plan £168 including VAT.
Three sessions of 1.5 hours sorting out your finances: £756 including VAT. Two documents for your financial settlement: £504 including VAT
We make all these costs clear at the start. You book your sessions at times to suit your budget, and you pay at the end of each session, so it’s pay as you go, going at your speed to suit your purse. No hidden costs, no deposit up front, nothing that you don’t know about and agree to.
We always recommend you consult your lawyers for personal advice, and you will need them for your financial Consent Order, but by using mediation for your negotiations, you definitely save money.
And if you reflect on the fact that a typical court case will set you each back £10 – 20,000, there isn’t much more we need to say ….
Author: Caroline Friend, Family Mediator, Oxford.
Call us on 01908 231132 or Email: info@focus-mediation.co.uk for further information or to book a Mediation Information & Assessment Meeting (MIAM) (11 Locations: Milton Keynes, Bedford, Broxbourne, Hemel Hempstead, London, Northampton, Oxford, Potters Bar, St Albans, Harrow and Watford).
Read more about family mediation at: www.focus-mediation.co.uk
