mediation services

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Mediation is an effective method of resolving disputes between two or more parties.  The Mediator, a neutral independent qualified professional, helps the parties to come to a mutually agreeable resolution.  

Participation in mediation is voluntary and requires all parties to agree to mediate. The process is private and confidential, it brings structure that ordinary negotiation or communication lacks.  The decision to agree rests solely with the parties themselves, not the mediator.  Detailed information about what we offer is outlined below. 

Civil and Commercial Mediation  is a non-biased, less stressful form of resolving disputes between two or more parties that are in a civil or commercial contract. It is quicker process than taking a case to court and is also usually a much cheaper way of resolving a dispute. The parties remain in control of the mediation process and neither party is forced in to anything they don’t want to be in. 

When parties agree to mediation, they pay a mediation fee and arrange to meet with the mediator. At the meeting, the mediator explains the process and each side provides a short summary of their case. The mediator work with each side separately to:

• clarify the issues;
• make the parties focus on the important issues;
• promote discussion of the possible solutions;
• separate the personalities from the problem;
• examine the consequences of not settling; and
• negotiate and reach a settlement 

The parties remain in control and is a confidential and ‛without prejudice’ process; negotiations cannot be referred to in court or relied upon by the other party if the discussions fail. Nothing is revealed to either party without the express permission of the other.

The advantages of using the service include:

• cost savings both in legal fees and time spent away from the business;
• confidentiality is maintained;
• our ability to deal with a number of issues and needs;
• parties control the outcome and agree a settlement;
• relationships are preserved.

Most settlements can be negotiated in one day, a small price to pay if the impasse can be broken and a sensible solution reached. Mediation is often hard work but it is no doubt its worth effort. Disputing parties will reap the benefits of an improved working relationship or a settlement that they are reasonably comfortable with, without getting involved in a long litigation process, which could spiral out of their control and leave at least one of the parties feeling agrieved.

Work Place Mediation is  a way to mend relationships when there is a disagreement at work. The mediator, a neutral person,  remains impartial and does not take sides. He / She is there to improve communication, allowing everyone to have control over what the final outcomes, and helps the parties to work together to agree on a resolution so that they can continue to work together in the future. The process is a less formal than a grievance process or going to an employment tribunal. It is also a confidential, non-legally binding, flexible and voluntary process to resolve disagreements in the workplace. 

Involving a mediator early on in a workplace communication dispute can quickly help to 

• reduce stress
• retain valuable employees
• avoid more formal processes, such as going to employment tribunal
• stop more grievances being raised
• avoid paying high costs, for example, employment tribunal claims

Sumita is a civil, commercial and work place mediator, accredited with the ADR Group Ltd and registered with the Civil Mediation Council as an Associate Member.  

We are delighted to offer both civil and commercial and work place mediation services.  We can provide this service in one of two ways:

1) through the CMC's Fixed Fee Mediation Scheme; or 

2) independently providing a bespoke service based on the dispute between the parties.

Please contact us through the Contact Us page for more information about our service and fees. 

Please note that a mediation needs both / all parties to have agreed to the mediation.  

Civil and Commercial and Workplace Mediations – Complaints Procedure

If you are dissatisfied with any part of the mediation process delivered by Sumita Shah, please contact us to discuss your concerns, to give us an opportunity to resolve the issue informally.

If it is not possible to resolve the matter informally, please contact us formally via  the Complaints button at the bottom of this page. Our complaints process is:

1. All complaints will be acknowledged in writing within 5 working days of receipt

2. All complaints will be investigated and responded to, within 21 working days of receipt. The procedure may specify that on occasions further time may be required, in which case the complainant should be notified of this in writing. 

3. The investigation will be carried out by an independent mediator or another professional who is separate from the business.

4. You will receive a written reply from the independent mediator or professional. 

5.  If the response is not accepted the complainant can appeal to the CMC on certain grounds. Details of the CMC's appeal processes can be found here: https://civilmediation.org/for-the-public/complaints/