OM Thinking

Our mediators are committed to taking part in the wider development of mediation.

Is family mediation now mandatory before going to court?

There have been some changes to the Family Proceedings Rules, which came into effect on 29 April 2024, to promote and enforce the court’s powers to encourage Non-Court Dispute Resolution (NCDR) in private children law and...Read more >

Lies and Truth in Poker and Mediation

Mediation is not like a game of poker, but there can be similarities. In mediation as in poker, people do not always tell the truth. In my experience, bald lies are rare in mediations and...Read more >

Creating and claiming value in negotiation and mediation

“Getting to Yes” (Fisher and Ury’s seminal negotiation book) argues that “Principled Negotiation”, or win-win negotiation, is how you maximise value for all parties in negotiation. We are encouraged to “separate the people from the problem”, “focus...Read more >

Getting the most out of your mediator

It is very often worth telephoning your mediator before the mediation day for an introductory discussion. All discussions with your mediator, including this one, are confidential between you (unless you chose to authorise disclosure of...Read more >

Qualities of a Mediator – The A-Z

Disclaimer:This article is a bit tongue in cheek, but as I sat down to write something for the Mediation sector, I thought that an A-Z might be quite interesting. A: Audacious This one did make...Read more >

How to Irritate Your Mediator …

Mediators need to be unflappable in the face of the many ups and downs in a negotiation. We determinedly remain impartial and treat all participants even-handedly. But we are human and, whilst we may not...Read more >