What is Mediation?
A mediator helps you and the other party achieve a settlement and helps you both to make the decisions needed to achieve it, with pre-mediation talks and negotiation on the day, saving you time, money and energy.
If you need help to resolve a dispute, want to avoid the costs of lawyers, reduce the time spent dealing it and the uncertainty of it all, mediation is a great way to go.
Why do disputes occur?
Principally, it’s fear.
If you dig down deep enough, losing money, goodwill, time, will each hit the fear button.
Pretty much anyone will say that to take courage requires facing fears. That’s one of those old chestnuts that most of us recognise:
the top of the steep ski slope, public speaking, having children…and all of them play out well when we confront the fear.
Disputes put fear slap in the middle of the table and we use any number of mechanisms to deal with it.
A Christmas tree grower said to me that anytime he had a problem with someone, he’d invite them to his kitchen and put the kettle on. In 50 years of trading spruces, he’d never once had a problem that couldn’t be resolved over a cuppa. ☕️
Of course, he was lucky enough not to have had bigger issues to contend with, but I suspect he already knew one thing. Hubris isn’t a good brand of teabags
If his approach to life was centred around the value sets that gave him an inner peaceability, then that’s what we can bring to the table too. Mediation asks us to negotiate and compromise because peace is better than conflict.
How do I solve disputes?
In our level of disputes, we work with facts, emotions, and pragmatism. We don’t work with weapons, threats and intimidation.
Mediators do intervene with hostile conflicts, but you can imagine a cuppa being in there somewhere…
The fear of spending vast sums of hard earned money on lawyers, court costs and reparations is enough to terrify most people.
Many mediators will say something similar…mediate first. We’ll guide you through it and be there all the way until you find a settlement. The stats are pretty good…90%ish of mediated disputes are settled on the day or within a few days of the mediation.
You’re not obliged to settle, there are plenty of reasons why it might be better to walk away and fight it out elsewhere.
If that’s sounds good, the sound of a chinking glass at the end will be even better.
Your dispute, your mediation, your agreement
Downloads and Helpful Guides
Common Court and Litigation Costs
A really brief outline of what a basic dispute would cost if it goes to court
This is purely an example of what’s out there and not an indication of a specific litigation claim…
Model Mediation Clause
Download and copy this into your terms and conditions.
Model ADR Notice
If you have the misfortune of a dispute and have the ADR/mediation clause in your contract/terms and conditions, you can use this to invoke the clause.
FREE no obligation consultation
Nipping Disputes In The Bud
Benefits of Mediation
Cost Effective
Mediation can save disputees significant legal and court costs.
85%* of mediations are settled within the day, allowing parties to move on from the dispute and get back to their regular business
Collaborative
Mediation is a collaborative process allowing disputees to work together to find mutually beneficial outcomes.
Settlement agreements are created by you, not decided by someone else.
Confidential
All dispute mediations are conducted in a safe and private setting, so everything remains confidential. There are strict guidelines used in mediations to ensure this.
Cost & Fees
Fees are payable per party, and details sent on request.
I offer a discount for online mediation.
Testimonials
“I had the privilege of working with Alex over the last two years. Alex is professional, compassionate and practical. His advice and support helped me through a difficult time in my life and again in a time of professional and personal transition. There are few people that have his mix of talents and recommend him beyond a doubt for professional mediation and counselling services.”
“Alex was invaluable in helping calm long-standing tensions on a local estate. The council’s ASB team, the elected councillors and frequent police involvement had all failed. However, Alex’s clear impartiality and evident human compassion gained the trust of all parties and permanently improved the situation.”
“I was truly impressed how skilful and also non-intrusively Alex worked with me on a difficult family matter. You can tell he is super experienced and knows how to apply the craft of mediation in a practical and solution-oriented way. It helped us a lot at home and it was worth the time and investment. Otherwise, I might have just given up.”
FAQs
Fees
Online Mediation
Our Green Pledge
At Alex Scrivens Mediation we aim to be as paperless as possible, reducing our carbon footprint where we can. Online mediation allows us to work anywhere with no travel impacts.
Insurance
Alex Scrivens Mediation is fully insured with Hiscox Insurance
