How it works
From first email to signed terms, usually inside a month.
Nothing about mediation is mysterious. Here is exactly what happens, so you can decide whether it suits your dispute before you spend anything.
The five stages
Enquiry
Either party gets in touch, or both together. I check there is no conflict of interest and that mediation fits the dispute. If it does not, I will say so and suggest what might.
Agreement to mediate
One short document, signed by everyone. It sets out my neutrality, confidentiality, the without prejudice basis, the fee and the date. Nothing starts until it is signed.
Papers
A short summary of your case and the key documents, about a week before. I read all of it. Nothing you send me is shared with the other side without your permission.
The day
Private sessions with each party, joint sessions where they help. I carry offers, test positions and keep the conversation moving when it stalls. Most days run eight hours. Some finish sooner.
Settlement
If terms are agreed they are written down and signed before anyone leaves, and at that point they bind. If no agreement is reached, nothing said that day can be used later.
Fees
One fixed fee, agreed in writing, before anything begins.
The fee covers reading the papers, the agreement to mediate, and the mediation day itself. There is no hourly billing and no surprise on the invoice.
Unless the parties agree otherwise the fee is shared equally between them, which is the usual arrangement. Room hire and travel, where they arise, are set out in the same agreement so nothing arrives unannounced.
Questions
What parties ask before booking.
Do I need a solicitor with me?
No. Many parties bring one, many do not, and both work. If you do bring representation, they are welcome in every session.
What if we do not settle?
You are no worse off. Everything said in the mediation stays without prejudice, so none of it can be used in proceedings. Parties often settle in the days afterwards, having heard the other side properly for the first time.
Will you decide who is right?
No. I mediate facilitatively, which means I do not judge, I do not advise, and I do not tell anyone what to accept. My job is to make a conversation possible that you have not been able to have on your own.
Is it really confidential?
Yes. The agreement to mediate binds everyone present, including me. What you tell me privately stays private unless you ask me to pass it on.
Can it be done online?
Yes, and it works well, particularly where the parties are in different countries. Private rooms work the same way online as they do in person.
Can we mediate in French?
Yes. I work in English and French, and in both where the parties do not share a working language. La médiation peut se dérouler en français, en anglais, ou dans les deux langues.
Are you regulated, and insured?
Yes. I am a CMC Associate Mediator, regulated by the Civil Mediation Council, which requires accredited training, professional indemnity insurance, a code of conduct and a complaints procedure. All CMC regulated categories meet the same core standards.
How soon can we get a date?
Usually within a few weeks. If the matter is urgent, say so in your first email and I will tell you the earliest I can offer.
About
Alain Dunyaglo
I am a CMC Associate Mediator, regulated by the Civil Mediation Council, based in Hove and working across England and Wales in person or online.
Alongside the practice I am a company director, with years of commercial contracts, property and cross border trade behind me. That is the same ground most of these disputes come from, which means I rarely need the commercial background explained twice.
CMC regulation means accredited training, the required professional indemnity insurance, a published code of conduct and a complaints procedure. Associate, Registered and Fellow all meet the same core standards.
I mediate in English and French.
Ready when you are.
Tell me who the parties are and what the dispute is about. Two or three sentences is plenty to start.