Mediation Process

The Mediation process encourages parties to resolve any disputes without the involvement of courts and costly legal fees. The process is led by an independent, impartial party known as the Mediator.

The purpose of mediation is to have parties openly and honestly discuss their concerns and to identify options and reach agreements about the future. The Mediator does not provide legal advice, they are there to ensure that the communication is respectful and productive. Where appropriate the Mediator may provide information to the parties about the alternatives to mediation.

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Mediation can take anywhere between one hour to several days. It will depend on the dispute and the number of people involved. Most of our mediations are completed within three to four hours.

What could go wrong?

During Mediation the parties to the dispute choose what information they share and what they will agree to. The mediator will not compel you to share any information or make any decisions that will affect your future.

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The mediation process is entirely voluntary and relies on the goodwill of parties. If after a mediation no agreement is reached, then one or both parties may proceed to legal action.

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You can also choose to book in multiple mediations to ensure that you have the best chance of a negotiated outcome.

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The health and safety of our mediators and participants is paramount. We will not book in mediations if we consider that they are physically or psychologically unsafe.

Booking your mediation

Before we conduct a mediation, our mediator will host an intake discussion with you to find out more about the history of the dispute and to ensure that we can assist you.

Preparing for Mediation

Prior to mediation, we will have a pre-mediation discussion privately with each of the parties to a dispute to establish whether Mediation is the best way to resolve the dispute.

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A Mediator cannot give legal advice and so prior to any mediation process, we recommend that you do research and obtain any information that you can about the dispute at hand and the issues that you need to have addressed. It is helpful to know what your alternatives are prior to a mediation so that you can negotiate with more confidence.

It is not uncommon to be surprised by new information during a mediation. This does not have to be the end of the process for you. We encourage our clients to consider new information, ask for the time they require to consider it and then resume the mediation once they have had an opportunity to consider it.

If you have information that you think will be important for the other side to know prior to your mediation, it is best that you share it with us and them beforehand. This means that everyone is ready to reach a mutually beneficial agreement.

Types of disputes 

We can mediate any community or personal dispute. Some of the specific types of disputes that we have experience in resolving are:

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• workplace disputes

• small business disputes

• neighbourhood matters (trees, fences, retaining wall etc.)

• property settlements

• Wills and Estates

• complaints about professional services

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If your disputes involves young children or sensitive family matters, we will connect you with excellent family dispute resolution practitioners in your area.

Costs of Mediation

Mediation is significantly more affordable than legal advice.

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Our mediation rates start from $480 for a half day mediation, inclusive of any pre-mediation discussions.

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The cost will vary depending on the number of parties, the complexity of the dispute and the number of mediators that you require.