Alternatives to Court

At Wards, we understand the stresses and difficulties that are often faced during separation.  We work with you to ensure the best outcome is achieved for everyone involved, without going to court, wherever possible.

Court proceedings can be costly, high conflict and extremely stressful.  It should be the last resort but it is sometimes necessary.

As part of the divorce process, our team of family lawyers will communicate with your former partner or their solicitor to negotiate on your behalf or advise you so that you are informed and confident about your options.  We can access services which will help you reach agreement e.g. financial or accountancy advice, or therapeutic or support services.

We regularly work with and refer our clients to mediation, and several members of our team are trained collaborative lawyers.

How mediation works

Mediation aims to give separating couples the opportunity to reach agreements without the need for court action.  Typically, couples use mediation to discuss and agree future arrangements regarding children, finances and property.

Mediation allows you to decide the arrangements, unlike court proceedings, where a Judge will decide what will happen.  A mediator is completely impartial and as such, they cannot give you any legal advice but can provide a wealth of information about the law and the Court’s approach in similar cases.

Collaborative Law

Collaborative Family Law is another way of resolving disputes between yourself and your former partner through negotiation.

The process involves both parties and their respective Collaborative Lawyers signing up to an agreement that they will not go to Court to resolve matters.  You will both need to appoint your own Collaborative Lawyer and a series of “four-way” meetings will then take place to negotiate and agree on any issues in dispute.

At Wards, several of our family team are specifically trained collaborative lawyers and we are able to advise you and support you to help achieve your objectives and the best outcome.

It is also possible to involve other professionals in the process such as financial advisors (who act in a neutral capacity to assist the couple together) or coaches (who can assist couples with the emotional side of the separation).

To book your initial free consultation, please use the green form on this page, or get in touch with our family law team by calling 0117 929 2811 or contact your local Wards office.