[?] Subscribe To This Site

What is Mediation?

Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that is becoming more popular and mainstream by the day.

Traditional methods

Disputes are typically dealt with adversarially. Whether by winning an argument with someone or via a formal process such as a tribunal or through the courts. Here legislation will be used to decide who of two or more parties in dispute is ‘in the wrong’.

Are you in dispute with someone?

High Hedges problem?

How Mediation Can Help

Making a Referral

In some instances this is the most appropriate way of dealing with a dispute, for example, where a law or tenancy agreement has clearly been broken. But, in many cases it may be difficult to identify who is the ‘victim’ and who is the ‘perpetrator’ as both parties may have suffered a hurt. But both may also have inflicted a hurt - either physical or emotional.

‘Winning’ an argument or dispute can often have long term negative consequences if the ‘loser’ feels resentment and may even seek some form of revenge.

Mediation as an alternative

Dealing with disputes through mediation encourages both parties to work to find a resolution to their problem. This may be difficult if they do not like the other person or are frightened of them, but by continuing the dispute and dealing with it adversarially, the long term consequences can be much worse.

Mediation is designed to take into account people’s fears and anger towards each other and provides a ‘safe space’ to create better ways of dealing with the issues that cause the dispute. In the case of neighbour disputes, mediation offers the chance for neighbours to find ways of living next door to each other which do not lead to problems.

However, in some areas of mediation such as neighbour mediation we may only assist one person as the other party may not want mediation. We work with the person who does want our assistance to help them review how they are dealing with the situation and supporting themselves through it, and how they have communicated with the other person.

Supporting the empowerment of just one person and helping them create alternative ways of responding to and communicating with the other person, and alternative ways of supporting themselves can, in itself, enable resolution of the difficulty.

Often, neighbour disputes lead to people moving from a home they love, or they stay living in their home but have a constant ‘bad atmosphere’ and feel unfairly restricted in how they carry on their lives. Mediation offers a way of removing these problems.

Mediation is not easy, but it is realistic.

Our service is available to you if you are involved in some form of relationship difficulty, whether that is with your partner, your work colleague, your child, your parents, your neighbour etc.

Please contact us if you feel our service could help.

footer for mediation page