How to use civil mediation

Summary

Learn how civil mediation works, and how it might help you solve your legal problem quickly, cheaply, and with less stress than going to court. You can use mediation before you start a court case or after one has started. The information in this guide applies to England and Wales. 1 Getting started 2 What is civil mediation? 3 When to start civil mediation 4 How much civil mediation costs 5 How does civil mediation work? 6 How to find a good civil mediator 7 How to prepare for civil mediation 8 What to do if you can’t agree 9 What does it mean? 10 More help and advice on mediation 11 About this guide This guide is for you if you live in England or Wales and are trying to sort out a civil legal problem that could be dealt with in the County Court (this includes small claims, fast-track claims, and multi-track claims). Often when we feel we have been treated unfairly and the other side has not acted as we wanted or responded immediately, we want to go to court. It sometimes feels important that we are proved right and the other side is proved wrong and punished. This is usually because we are angry. But going to court is a lot of work. Even if it seems a straightforward case there.

Key information

• •how civil mediation works,
• •whether legal mediation might help you solve your problem more quickly, cheaply, and easily than going to court,
• •how much it might cost you (or not – sometimes it is free!),
• •how to find a good civil mediator,
• •how to prepare to get the most out of civil mediation.
• •the value of the claim (just as court fees depend on the value of the claim), or
• •how much time is needed for the mediation, or
• •How experienced is the mediator? Is the mediator registered with a professional mediation organisation like the Civil Mediation Council or the College of Mediators?
• •How many mediations do they do each year? (Try to choose an experienced mediator who does many sessions each year).
• •How much will the mediation session cost each of you? What do those costs include?
• •Are they insured? (All mediators registered with the Civil Mediation Council or the College of Mediators must be insured.)
• •If there are any other additional fees (for example, for hiring a venue for in-person mediation)?

Practical guidance

• •Source: [How to use civil mediation](https://www.advicenow.org.uk/get-help/going-court/ways-resolve-dispute/civil-mediation)

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