Why would a solicitor recommend a client use a not-for-profit Family Law Mediation service instead of a private mediation service?
It is a question that causes me to wonder at the motives of some members in our legal profession.
- Your solicitor knows it will take several weeks for both parties to progress through the not-for-profits intake process, often entrenching the dispute and adding to the animosity of both parties. Whereas private mediation can take as little as one or two weeks for clients to proceed through the same intake process.
- Your solicitor knows that private mediation services have significantly higher agreement rates than the not-for-profit providers. Private providers don’t shy away from working with difficult cases.
- Your solicitor knows that a private mediation services will work much harder to get both parties to the negotiating table. Private providers will work harder to get a result.
- Your solicitor knows that many private mediation services offer longer mediation sessions which brings a matter to conclusion much more quickly, and ultimately at less expense to the parties involved; with both Children’s and Financial disputes.
- And then there is the question of cost. The bond a client is asked to pay a solicitor to commence proceedings, will often be far more than is needed to fund an entire mediation process through a private provider; Child Access and Finances!
So, who stands to benefit from you using a not-for-profit provider to mediate your family law matter when you can afford a private family law mediation service? Your solicitor.
You are significantly more likely to end up in solicitor lead negotiations and ultimately in court, if you start your mediation experience using a not-for-profit mediation service, and that is money in the pocket of your solicitor!
Private Family Law Mediation or Family Dispute Resolution facilitated by a qualified and experienced FDRP, is the quickest and most cost-effective way to resolve your family law disputes.
