Family mediation is not just about 2 people meeting with a mediator. Just as lawyers involve experts, where necessary, so do mediators.

In other blogs we have explained the importance of full financial disclosure so that a couple know what assets there are, where they are and how much they are worth.

To help work out what certain assets are worth we may suggest that experts are involved. The sorts of experts that we often consider involving in mediation are;

Valuers – If there is a property or properties and a couple cannot agree the value/s we will talk about involving a valuer who can prepare a report that we can then use in meetings

Tax experts – It may be that a couple need tax advice to understand their personal position or maybe they need a capital gains tax calculation to understand what might be payable in certain circumstances so that we can talk about how that liability will be paid.

Pension expert – Pensions can be valuable assets and how to deal with them in a divorce situation may require some expert advice. We need to know what they are worth and then we sometimes need actuarial calculations about the best way to share pension assets. We have written a separate blog, which can be found on our website, about the importance of getting professional pension advice.

Business valuer – Where businesses are involved, we sometimes need to seek advice and guidance from a professional to help us look at what a business is worth, what capital it might be able to raise and other issues that could impact the decisions a couple need to make when sorting out their finances.

Mortgage adviser/IFA – Looking at what people can borrow on a mortgage is an important consideration when we are talking about future housing needs. Independent financial advisers (IFA’s) can also provide really helpful support when a couple are planning their future finances and making decisions about how to best share their assets.

Lawyers – There may be situations where lawyers can join mediation meetings to provide advice, support and guidance to their client when they are making decisions in meetings about proposals for agreeing how to reach a financial agreement.

So, as you can see, experts can play an important role in providing important information as part of the mediation process. We never involve anyone without the couple we are working with agreeing who we will involve and we always obtain quotes about what an expert will cost before they start any work.

If you think family mediation can help you separate and/or divorce and you would like to know more, you can call us on 0800 206 2258or email us at hello@familymandm.co.uk. We also have a book now facility on our website where you can book a free call on a day and time to suit you – www.familymediationandmentoring.co.uk

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