When you attend mediation, we want to ensure that you are able to voice what is important to you and that you have all the information you need to be able to enter into dialogue with the other party and make decisions. Sometimes to be able to achieve this additional support is required – and it is best provided by a lawyer.
It is by no means essential to have a lawyer present during mediation. It can however be of benefit if your case is particularly complicated or there are family violence issues. It can also be of benefit as it allows you to have access to advice during mediation, and if you plan to make your agreement legally enforceable your lawyer will be able to manage this next stage for you and assist in preparing Consent Orders to be filed with the Court.
Your mediator will discuss with you during your pre-mediation conference the option of having your lawyer present during mediation or available via phone for support. Please note that if one party has a lawyer present the other party will be given the same opportunity.
If you choose to attend mediation without a lawyer, we suggest that you obtain legal advice prior to attending your mediation.
Northern Beaches and North Shore Family Law Mediation collaborates with several established Legal Services. In some cases, we can assist you in finding legal representation.
Court Ordered Mediation
We are happy to provide private mediation pursuant to Court Orders. Any further time required to read court documents and or pre-mediation position papers is charged in accordance with our fee schedule at $470 per hour Plus GST. For more information regarding our fees please click here.
Costs of Lawyer Assisted Mediation
Lawyer Assisted mediation usually costs more than family mediation would generally cost, as you have the additional expenses of paying for your lawyer and it is usually the case that there is some additional briefing information provided by your lawyers to assist in our preparation for mediation.
Our staff of family mediators can advise you further regarding these fees during your pre mediation session. For more information, call us on 0414 655 099 or email [email protected] to discuss your situation.
A Note for Legal Representatives
We highly value getting to working with solicitors in mediation. We have great regard for the important role that you play in ensuring that your client is informed, supported, and advocated for. It is our hope to provide a process that empowers your clients and assists them in moving forward. Our mediators are also trained Family Lawyers who have had experience in complex parenting and property matters. We believe this experience greatly adds to our ability to understand and assist parties as they navigate the various complexities that they may encounter. When assigning a mediator to a matter we aim to ensure that the mediator assigned is the best fit to deal with the issues particular to your client. If your client is attending a lawyer assisted mediation, we will endeavour to work with you and your client ahead of mediation.
Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss how we can be of assistance to your clients.