Out of my home office!

Thank you for your email. I am away until 20 February getting some much needed Alpine air. If you are enquiring as to my availability to conduct a mediation, please find below my dates of availability (accurate as at 9 February). Dates in square brackets represent provisional mediation bookings/other potential diary commitments. If you require …

10 Tips For Trust & Probate Mediation Success

Contentious trust and probate disputes are tough to resolve because of the emotion and psychology at play.  Advising the client about the law is often the easy bit.  Most cases settle without going to Court, so it is best to bear this in mind from the outset of the case.  Whilst your client may tell …

How to write an impeccable mediation statement

I categorise mediation statements as the good, the bad and the ugly.  I am often asked by lawyers what makes a good mediation statement.  In this blog, I am going to help you to think more carefully about the power and impact of your word. You will notice I use the term “mediation statement” rather …

Christmas Message

Reflections on 2020 from Dove in the Room

On Friday I concluded my final mediation of 2020; a heart-warming settlement with genuinely happy parties on both sides. Most mediations finish with both parties feeling mildly disappointed but relieved, so it is very rewarding when you see people move from anger and despair to happiness and peace.  I feel quite emotional when I reflect …

Now is the right time to mend your family relationships

It’s tough for families right now.  Lockdown has enforced physical distance for the wider family unit.  Tragically, some loved ones are having to deal with illness alone.  People are even having to attend family funerals by video conference.  The emotional scars of the corona crisis will run deep for years to come.  But there are …

5 reasons why probate mediation will benefit from going virtual

When Covid-19 struck, somebody hit the global pause button.  Panic set in.  Then panic turned into patience.  People started singing from balconies, talking to their neighbours and working out ways to do things better in the future.  Those of us with a positive outlook on life are using the crisis to work out ways to …

How to improve your chances of a successful mediation – pre-mediation mindset coaching

“Perfect planning prevents pathetic performance”.  In this blog I advocate a better way to plan and prepare for a mediation – pre-mediation mindset coaching. This is already common in a divorce situation.  I believe it has a place in probate dispute mediation, which can be life changing.     I have attended countless mediations over the …