Thanet County Court are having to wait over 456 days (15 months) for cases to complete the first stage. It is one of the most delayed courts in the country. Even if you secure a court date, can you afford to see the claim through?
If you can’t afford to take your case to court and you don’t want to wait 18 months to move things forward, mediation may be a good fit. Mediation has an extremely high success rate with 86% of all cases being settled.
Mediation is a voluntary, confidential, and flexible method of conflict resolution facilitated by impartial mediators. Mediation focuses on moving forward, helping participants to reach mutually agreeable solutions and to rebuild relationships.
The mediator is there to help conversation flow and progress towards a solution. Mediators are impartial and do not make judgements or take sides. All decisions made in a mediation lie in the hands of the participants.
The mediation process starts with an initial assessment. The mediator has a private conversation with each of the participants. If you both decide to proceed, a mediation time and place is agreed, you will be asked to sign a mediation agreement and to make payment. You may be asked by the mediator to provide additional information in advance of the mediation.
At the mediation, each person will have the opportunity to talk freely without being interrupted. The mediation is confidential and without prejudice, and nothing said in the mediation can be shared beyond that meeting.
Mediations can happen in joint meetings - also known as open sessions - or in private sessions. In the case of private sessions, the mediator will alternate between separate rooms to help the discussion continue.
The majority of mediations end with participants coming to an agreement after one day, which is written down and signed by the participants.
Anyone can use mediation, and Thanet Mediation Centre specialises in community, workplace, and commercial mediations. If you’re unsure whether mediation is right for you, feel free to get in touch for a chat, and a member of our team would be happy to help.
Mediation is a voluntary process. Everyone has to agree for the mediation to go ahead, and any participant can withdraw at any stage if they would like.
The first step is to get in touch with a member of our team, either over the phone or email. We’ll schedule an introductory chat to see whether mediation is right for you. You can find our contact details below.
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