The emotional toil of going through the divorce process is stressful enough, but for many people the stress can be made much worse by the financial burden. Spiralling court costs and not knowing how much it will all come too can be terrifying for those who do not have enough means to fight their battles in court. This is especially true since the reduction in legal aid.
Many legal professionals, from judges to solicitors are recommending that couples use mediation to decide the terms of their divorce and reduce costs by staying out of court.
Working through your divorce in front of an experienced mediator, instead of a judge reduces both stress and costs. You are also much more in control of the outcome and insufficient legal representation is not as much of a problem, although it is still highly recommended that you have your own solicitor.
At Grant Stephens Family Law in Cardiff we charge a fixed hourly rate of £100 plus VAT per person for family mediation sessions. Every couple is different and how long you need will depend entirely on your individual circumstances. Generally three to five sessions of 1.5 hours is sufficient.
Mediation also offers complete flexibility in how far apart the sessions are spaced. It can be got over with quickly, or you can allow yourselves time between each session to test agreed arrangements. For example, routines for the children.
Mediation is not right for every couple, but if it is right for you it is the perfect way to avoid the cost of your divorce spiralling out of control.