Mediation Services
Mediation at Rands, a better way forward to reach agreement for your family
Rands Solicitors are based in Ashby and Brigg. We are the fastest growing firm of Solicitors in North Lincolnshire. As apart of our continued expansion, the firm now offers a Mediation Service.
At Rands Solicitors we understand how difficult it can be if your find yourself in dispute about your children or breakdown of a relationship. Our Mediation service is independent, neutral and confidential. We work with both participants equally to navigate disputes to enable you to reach a resolution.
Why Mediation is important
Mediation assists you in finding short- and longer-term solutions that work for you and your family.
Each person has the right to their own legal advice alongside having Mediation.
Carla can give you information, but she cannot give advice to either individual as Carla must remain impartial and cannot give opinions on your proposals or tell you what should happen.
It is a requirement of the Family Court to have attempted mediation before you make an application to Court.
Areas our Mediation covers:
- Arrangements for children
- Separation and Divorce – finance and property. Whilst Carla is working towards becoming an Accredited Family Mediator, Andrew Wearing, of Wareing Family Mediation holds joint mediation sessions with Carla on matrimonial finance matters.
What happens
Sarah is the first point of contact in our Mediation service.
Carla will then hold your MIAM (Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting) which take about an hour. Carla then holds your joint Mediation session. Carla will write up a progress of Mediation session document and send it to each person after each session. Once you have come to an agreement that works for you and your family, she will then write a document that sets out all of the areas you have agreed, explained in more detail below.
We can offer Child Inclusive Mediation and Andrew Wearing works with Carla as our Child Consultant.
Your mediation session are led by the topics your wish to discuss.
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Mediation process:
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Sarah sets up your MIAM- Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting, with Carla.
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Carla will then assess in that meeting if it is safe and appropriate to move to the next stage- which is to invite the other person in for their MIAM.
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If both MIAM's take place and it is appropriate to move to the next stage, we will send out a form called 'Agreement to Mediate.’ This is discussed at the first Joint Mediation Session.
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Sarah will then make arrangements for both people to have Joint Mediation sessions This can be:
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In person in the same room.
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Via Teams with both parties and Carla on the call.
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Or Shuttle Mediation which can be held in the following ways:
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In the same building, each person would have their own waiting area, and Carla would move between the two, without the participants coming into contact with each other
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Via Teams, each participant would have their own online room, and Carla would move between them. Neither participants would come into contact with each other.
Joint Mediation sessions can take between 1 – 3 sessions for individuals to come to agreement on most if not all of the topics they wish to discuss.
Following Joint Mediation sessions, you will be provided with a summary of the session. If individuals reach agreement on matters, we will then provide each person;
In children matters- an Arrangements for Children document.
In financial matters – a Memorandum of Understanding document.
The documents Carla produces are not legally binding; they reflect what each individual has agreed to in the Joint Mediation sessions.
Then add what is on the back of our Mediation leaflets- the benefits to mediation
About us
Carla Thomson has completed NFM [National Family Mediation] Family Mediation training and is working towards becoming an Accredited Family Mediator. Carla is registered with the National Mediation Council, registered number - 2128T.
All Mediation work carried out by Rands Solicitors, is in accordance with the professional requirements of the Code of Practice of the Family Mediators Association and the Family Mediation Council.
Carla is supervised for her Mediation work, by an external Professional Practice Consultant, who is also registered with the National Mediation Council.
Carla has 36 years' experience working with children and families, the family Courts. With 25 years within family dispute resolution work.
Prior to joining Rands Solicitors, Carla spent over 20 years working in Children’s Social Work roles as a Social Worker and Practice Supervisor. Carla then progressed to working at Cafcass, Child and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, as a Family Court Advisor / Children’s Guardian and then as a Practice Supervisor. It is in this role Susan Rands, our CEO, and Carla formed their long-standing connection.
In her role with Cafcass Carla worked with many separated families, working with them around family disputes and supporting them to form their own plans for their children, or when agreements could be reached Carla would apply her social work knowledge to make recommendations to Court, in the best interests of the children. Carla has written 100’s of reports to the Court in that role around family dispute and was a well-respected practitioner on the Family Court circuit.
Carla is assisted by Sarah Davies, Family Administrative Assistant, who has over 20 years' experience of legal services administration. Prior to joining Rands Solicitors Sarah was predominately an administrator for a Mediation department. This included direct contact with clients, arranging appointments, and written communication.
Rands Solicitors offer Mediation sessions at our:
Ashby and Brigg Offices, contact 01625 241635, ask for Sarah Davies to find out more.