Avenue currently offers Family Mediation for parents who wish to discuss parenting apart. If this does not describe you, but you feel that Mediation could help, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to have a conversation to see if we can offer you some support.
Family Mediation
Separation and divorce are difficult for most families. Usually there’s a lot to sort out at the time of separation, or even years later. You may be worried about living arrangements, how you will parent apart or how you will make arrangements for your children.
People in the wider family (grandparents, aunts, uncles etc) are also affected by family breakdown. Family Mediation can be useful for all family members.
Family Mediation can help parents and families talk to each other, reach mutual decisions and agree on practical arrangements. It can help you to agree arrangements for children, including residence and contact schedules. It can help you to find ways to communicate after separation that avoid conflict. It can help you to negotiate the transition into step-families, and understand how you can continue to parent your children together when apart.
Avenue’s Mediators remain impartial throughout the process and, for this reason, they cannot be directly contacted outside of your sessions. Any contact should be through Avenue’s Service Administration team.
We strongly recommend that you attend a Parenting Apart group in preparation for Family Mediation. If you would be interested in doing this, please let our Service Administrator team know, so that referrals for both services can be coordinated accordingly.
Sessions
Sessions are up to 1.5 hours long and can be delivered face-to-face, by telephone or online. This may depend on where you live.
Before a joint Family Mediation meeting takes place, the Mediator will meet with both parties separately, in order to explain the process, answer any queries you may have and clarify expectations.
Further meetings are then typically joint sessions, though if required, additional individual sessions may take place. You can discuss this with your Mediator in your sessions.
How many sessions you will need will depend on your particular circumstances. This will be reviewed as a regular part of the Mediation process.
Shuttle Mediation
Shuttle mediation is an alternative form of family mediation where the parties do not meet together. Instead, the mediator speaks with each person separately and moves between the sessions, helping both parties communicate and explore possible solutions.
The suitability of shuttle mediation, as an alternative to traditional family mediation, is determined at Avenue’s discretion, taking into consideration the individual circumstances of each case and the needs of those involved.
If you would like to discuss whether shuttle mediation may be suitable for your circumstances, please contact us for further information.
Sessions
We offer shuttle mediation online, allowing each participant to join their session separately from the comfort and privacy of their own location. Sessions normally last 2 hours.
Before a Shuttle Mediation meeting takes place, the Mediator will meet with both parties separately, in order to explain the process, answer any queries you may have and clarify expectations.
How many sessions you will need will depend on your particular circumstances. This will be reviewed as a regular part of the Mediation process.
Cost
If you would like more information, or would like to refer yourself or someone you know to Family Mediation, please call our Service Administration team on 01224 587571, or email us
Our online referral forms can be completed here
