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Writer's pictureEd Johnson

Stop! Listen! Relate! Communicate!

With the continued backlog of cases mediation is now more than ever the best choice to find a resolution for your dispute.  Get your dispute resolved now so you can really concentrate on what’s important and what deserves your time and energy.


Northwest Mediation continues to use Zoom, Skype and FaceTime as well as the phone and emails to resolve disputes should we add we also do live in person mediation too!  So please do not feel that you cannot contact us if you would like to mediate but wish to do so remotely.



As the new term for university students begins (and some lucky/unfortunate students get to witness my faltering steps into lecturing) thoughts turn to those difficult choices for children’s education whether that’s university or apprenticeships or which primary/nursery/secondary school as parents you choose for your children.


Technically once the kids hit 18 they are adults and are not so centrally considered by the courts, however practically (especially these days with kids living at home until their mid 30s) parents I work with need the children to still be considered.  In a lot of negotiation phases in mediation one parent will suddenly develop a mindset that the kids are grown up and need to be working, would this have been their mindset if they weren’t trying to squeeze a few more pounds out of the settlement pot?  You decide.  Attitudes do change as your kids grow, I know mine have, “isn’t it about time you had at least part time jobs” seems to have replaced in my mind the “covid stole so much of your youth enjoy the time with your friends for now” but that perhaps says more about me than the kids. 


It is however managing change that is at the centre of many a mediation, helping parents gather the tools for the future so they can address change within the family in a constructive way without the input (and expense) of a third party.




Dealing with change in a school setting is also in the minds of those in Antigua and Barbuda where the Mediation Committee along with the Ministry of Education has run a peer mediation training programme for children and teachers called “Stop! Listen! Relate! Communicate”.  All good steps in mediation.


47 students and staff from Ottos Comprehensive School and TN Kirnon School were trained by members of the Mediation Supervisory Committee in mediation techniques to equip them to deal with disputes arising in and around the school setting.


The idea is to invest in a more peaceful and collegiate approaches to disputes in the future.

PR officer for ACB Caribbean Nadine McDavid-Streete said “We believe that schools are the foundation of our future, and ensuring that students, counsellors, and teachers are equipped to handle conflicts constructively is essential for creating a positive and nurturing environment.”


Ideally what all clients coming out of mediation should be equipped with.


More disappointing news on the mediation front comes from India where last year’s much heralded Mediation Act which has received presidential approval has been sadly delayed in terms of implementation while the nuts and bolts of procedure are agreed upon.


It’s not easy promoting mediation without some legal backing or encouragement, the courts here can’t insist on parties attending mediation but more and more we see judges encouraging parties to go away and try (even if they cannot insist by order they attend).


Partner at law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Indranil D. Deshmukh, commented “Courts, including the Supreme Court, send high-stake disputes involving members of the promoter family of large conglomerates and companies for mediation at an early stage…An expert and trained mediator, supported by a conducive legal ecosystem, can play a vital role in paving the way for amicable settlement of even the most bitter family disputes.”


Well said the more cases we can get into mediation the more courts are freed up for work on cases not capable of mediation.


I know it’s an old piece but I came across it during the rewatch of the LOTR trilogy prior to the start of the new season of the Rings of Power (those of you who know me know that I was shouting “that’s not a bright blue jacket” when Bombadil finally made his English speaking appearance).


It’s also a good reminder of where mediation comes in in contract disputes, looking at what was intended, what was in the minds of the parties when they signed or drafted the wording.

Plus it’s another excuse for me to put Tolkein and Mediation in the same post.


The three pillars of mediation remain it’s voluntary (at the moment), it’s confidential, the mediator is impartial and independent, by using those pillars to support your work the parties keep control, save costs, save time and energy and reduce stress. 


In person or via electronic media as we’ve said before choose to mediate early and resolve your issues effectively, timeously, and with less stress and costs than going to your solicitor so you can get out choose a different path, not quite the road less travelled but perhaps the path less adversarial. You have an interest in the outcome the sooner you get round the mediation table the quicker you can move forward and avoid the grilling a cross examination in court would put you through.


By having a deep and meaningful discussions with parties the mediator elicits what the true “red-lines” are and where there is the potential for compromise, it is with this structured period of reflection that the parties are then able to reach an accord.


The flexible nature of mediation and the possible outcomes make it an ideal way to resolve disputes in an ever-changing world and the open nature of discussions in mediation whilst remaining confidential allows all sides to engage fully in the process and understand the needs of all involved allowing parties to reach a conclusion which both sides can live with and move on.


There are so many situations which could have been resolved by early intervention of mediation it continues to surprise me the lengths the public will go to avoid referral.


Whether you need a mediator to help out with a construction matter in the Northwest, or council’s plans in Cheshire, a civil mediator in London, a commercial mediator in Manchester, a dispute resolution for your family in Liverpool, a neighbourhood mediation in Stockport, then our mediators at Northwest Mediation can help.


Mediation is cheaper, quicker and less stressful than running any case to court, it can help with any dispute whether it's an employment issue or the sale at an under value of a property, a fight with a neighbour, family issues, commercial disputes, civil mediation or inheritance, wills and probate arguments contact me at Northwest Mediation on 0161 667 4418 or via email at ed.johnson@northwestmediation.co.uk

neighbour mediation; commercial dispute resolution; civil mediation; commercial dispute; corporate dispute; commercial mediator; family mediation; inheritance wills probate mediation; property mediator; civil mediator; civil litigation; fast track mediation; injury mediation


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