Divorce - Mediation v Solicitor - Pros and Cons

cymro

Just about to embark on a divorce - the wife has agreed in principle we should have a 50/50 split. Should I go with a solicitor mediation service and get final consent rubber-stamped by a solicitor or just use a solicitor alone. I have been told that the moderator route is cheaper but at £150 per hour each person it is hardly 'cheap'. What are the pros/cons of either?

Any ideas appreciated.

nickelodeon

It depends whether the parties are suitable for mediation, if you are likely to be able to come to an agreement then I would go for mediation, it will be the quickest and easiest way to deal with all the issues and then get solicitors to draft the Consent Order. With mediation you are both there and can discuss any concerns you have and resolve them, with solicitors any issues go back and forth via letter and can take longer (and hence cost more) to resolve. However if there is little chance of mediation working it may be better to just get a solicitor.

mutley74

try
http://www.nfm.org.uk/index.php?page=Home

cymro

Thanks - yes I suppose that makes sense - it is that back and forth that takes time and money - all sitting in the same room there is no back and forth.

mutley74

cymro wrote: »

Thanks - yes I suppose that makes sense - it is that back and forth that takes time and money - all sitting in the same room there is no back and forth.

plus you have to pay for mediation. When i tried it it cost me about £80 for one session! Achieve anything = nope. But thats because our split was a stressful and bad one. If you fortunate enough to make it amicable then its worth using. Beware what is said during the sessions is not law binding and either party can change their mind until the sols get hold of any agreements.

Note for financials its even easier for any party to withhold info as again there is no legal duty on them for full disclosure.

all the best

cymro

atpug - must have been some time ago - prices are now £150 per session :-( moral of the story - the quicker you get the divorced the cheaper it is :-)

loftus

Cymro - just how amicable is amicable and is it likely to stay this way?

If the answer is yes then why go to a solicitor or mediation - you can do a DIY divorce, download all the documents you need from the courts website, put together your own Consent Order and then just pay between you for a solicitor to run through your documents at the end to check they are ok.

One small amount of solictors fee and the court costs against thousands.