Mediation in Plymouth

What is mediation?

At Woollcombe Yonge we recognise that separating and divorcing is an extremely emotionally difficult and stressful time, not only for the couple involved but also for their children. Many couples find themselves involved in court proceedings that are costly and which are often hard for the parties to understand, whereas mediation could be free.

Many couples, however, welcome a more constructive, cooperative, and amicable approach. With the assistance of an independent, neutral, and impartial mediator, these clients are to have discussions and reach an agreement about their children and their financial circumstances. We have therefore set up a mediation practice, which we call WYMediation.

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WYMediation at Woollcombe Yonge

At Woollcombe Yonge we have set up a mediation practice, offering family mediation and divorce mediation services covering Plymouth and the surrounding areas, which we call WYMediation.

Our mediation service in Plymouth combines our extensive knowledge of family law as solicitors with the confidentiality and impartiality of a trained mediator to help you resolve separation disputes regarding child contact and financial issues, whilst avoiding the need to attend court.

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What is a mediator

A mediator is a specially trained facilitator. A mediator is neutral and impartial and does not take sides in the discussions. Our mediators are specially trained to help both parties find solutions to the problems that have arisen following separation. This avoids the need to attend court, reduces costs, and can assist in minimising stress and pressure. The collaborative nature of the discussions should lead to improvements in communication between a separating couple and leave them better able to co-parent their children in the long term.

Mediation is not…

• Mediation is not counselling to assist you to reconcile.
• Mediation helps you to come to joint decisions as to how to divide your assets and co-parent your children.
• The mediator is not a Judge and will not decide what you should do.
• The mediator will help you to find your own solutions that work very best for your particular family circumstances and for you.
• Mediation is confidential and therefore any discussions cannot be placed before a Judge.
• You are therefore able to discuss matters openly and transparently and to consider all possible options, rather than focussing on one particular position, as is encouraged through the courts.

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The benefits of mediation

The benefits:

• You set the agenda and you have the opportunity to speak directly to your former partner about the issues that are most important to you.
• You have the opportunity to hear from your partner about the issues that are most important to them.
• You resolve matters without going to court and putting your life in the hands of a Judge, who you will have never met before and who will have only had an opportunity to briefly read the papers and hear from you before making decisions that will affect you possibly for the rest of your life.
• Our mediation service is confidential and cost-effective.
• Mediation is flexible and we can work at the pace that you as a couple wish to work at.

Free mediation could be available. we also offer online mediation services

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Engaging your children in the process

At the forefront of our Mediator’s mind is the safety of all involved in the mediation and the children we will, therefore, assess the suitability of mediation before and during each meeting. For those who are committed to resolving matters without Court proceedings, and wish a constructive solution, mediation is very often very successful.

Mediation for free – legal aid

Legal aid is still available for mediation for children and financial issues, where you are financially eligible. Even better, if one of you is eligible for legal aid, both of you can have the first individual meeting with our mediator and the first joint meeting, for free. Our team can undertake an assessment of your financial means in order to ascertain whether you would be eligible for legal aid.

Getting feedback from your children

Our mediators are trained in dealing directly with children and with your agreement and proper planning, can see them to ascertain whether they wish to have feedback into discussions. Many agree that it is important for a child’s voice to be heard.

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Our WYMediation family mediation team

WYMediation are your local family mediators in the Plymouth area and are trained and ready to assist you with any family mediation or divorce mediation that you may need.

Our lead Mediator is Will Giles is a trained mediator, accredited with the Family Mediation Council (U409A), and a solicitor, registered with The Law Society. Will believes he is the only practicing solicitor-mediator in Plymouth giving him a truly unique viewpoint by which to best help separating couples resolve their differences.

Will is an experienced mediator, as well as having the advantage of having lengthy experience of all levels of family law as a solicitor and has worked on many court cases involving children and financial settlements. This gives Will a unique insight into the problems that arise for separating couples and how to resolve them.

Please contact us on 01752 660384, or email Will Giles on wg@wysolicitors.co.uk for more information.

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"As a family we found the service provided to us was delivered with ’empathy’ and was in fact ‘outstanding’, we would most certainly recommend Woollcombe Yonge to friends.”