What is mediation?
Mediation is defined by the Mediation Act 2017 as "a confidential and facilitative process in which parties to a dispute, with the assistance of a mediator, attempt to reach a mutually acceptable agreement".
A facilitator or ‘mediator’ helps people to resolve their dispute outside of court. As we'll see below, not only does this save on cost but it can also help save a huge amount of time. The mediator does not take sides, but allows both parties to discuss their issues in a fair and reasonable way.
Mediation is not legally binding but an agreement reached between the two parties can be enforced in the same way as a standard contract. Even if an agreement is reached, parties can still seek to resolve their issues through the legal system.
What are the benefits to mediation?
Mediation can be highly effective when it comes to resolving an emotional dispute, especially when it comes to family issues or a breakdown in a marriage.
Using a mediator can help resolve disputes faster, cheaper and with greater satisfaction. The biggest benefits are:
- More affordable: The legal system can generally become quite expensive when it comes to solving a dispute. The overall costs can be unpredictable and can lead to further problems once a dispute has been reached. Mediation on the other hand can help decrease costs significantly.
- Reach an agreement faster: Family disputes in the legal system can take up to 1 year on average to reach an agreement. A further benefit of mediation is that sessions can take place immediately and can reach an agreement within a day in some cases. This stops the process becoming dragged out over time.
- Improve relationships: Setting a dispute through the court system can put unnecessary stress on all parties, especially in family disputes. Through mediation, parties are encouraged to come to an agreement that suits everyone.
- Professional support: Mediation sessions take place with a trained mediator whose sole aim is to help both parties reach an agreement. Mediators are trained to support their clients and not take sides in the dispute. This means parties are generally more satisfied with the resolution.
At Limerick Mediation, we offer affordable and efficient mediation services. For more information contact us at limerickmediation@gmail.com or leave us a message on our website.
This is not legal advice and is only to be used for informational purposes.
