Northwest Mediation
Commercial & Family Mediation and Individual Dispute Resolution

As a geek from an early age I often find myself quoting either Trek or Star Wars, or if you're really lucky Babylon 5. If there’s one thing Star Trek  and Star Wars  (and other Sci Fi series) agree on, it’s this: conflict is inevitable. From trade disputes on distant planets to family feuds that literally split the galaxy, stories endure because tension exists. But what’s far more interesting—and far more useful in real life—is how conflict gets resolved. In our everyday worl

Starts Monday 26 January 2026 Every January, families across the UK face difficult decisions about separation, children, and finances. Family Mediation Week 2026 , running from Monday 26 January , shines a spotlight on a calmer, more constructive way to resolve family disputes — without the stress, cost, and conflict of court. If you’re going through a separation, divorce, or disagreement about children or finances, this week is an ideal time to explore how family mediation  

Midnight at the oasis? As the clock ticked down to midnight, the champagne began popping, someone somewhere shouted Hootananny little did we we know that the Commander in Cheese, Dumpty the President was watching his own clock tick down. Perhaps we should have been given a clue by the Doomsday clock in the trailers for the next Avengers' instalment was that a hint that the Orange Ego was about to nudge us closer to nuclear midnight than the world had been since the Cuban Miss

I didn't watch and don't intend to watch Traitors... It may seem heresy to say that I have no wish to watch celebs lie, cheat and backstab but I'm just not that convinced that encouraging people to think in terms of good/bad, traitor/faithful, pro/anti, remain/leave, red/blue has ever been helpful. Yes I appreciate it is a show for entertainment but when the world is in quite the mess it is from thinking only in binary terms which seemingly increasingly thrives on polarizatio

For decades the family courts in England and Wales have started from an assumption — explicit in guidance and expressed in practice — that children usually benefit from ongoing contact with both parents after separation. That “pro-contact” stance has delivered better outcomes in many situations, but there is growing evidence and public pressure that a blunt presumption can do real harm when safety, coercive control or ongoing risk are present. The government has now moved to

Introduction I've been tasked with a bit a research so this week I've been looking in more detail at disputes between co-owners of...

It's been a while dear reader, yes it's because of the merging of my practice with Staffordshire Mediation and the formation of...

In a world where romance collides with reality, the prenuptial agreement is often viewed as the elephant in the honeymoon suite. While...

Sometimes you try to mediate and for reasons outside your control (or those of the parties) stops it in it's tracks. Recently I had an...

Why, someone let's call him, Donald Is a Terrible Mediator When you think of effective mediators, you picture someone calm, impartial,...

Inheritance disputes can be emotionally charged and financially draining, often leading to prolonged legal battles that strain family...

Introduction In an increasingly complex world, conflicts are inevitable. Whether in business, personal relationships, or legal matters,...

So I asked our friendly neighbourhood chatgpt bot to tell me about the benefits of AI for mediation, what follows is the now heavily...

The great Ian Smith (Harold Bishop) was interviewed this week about his life, his cancer and his pivotal role in Oz's greatest export...

Mediation, once an obscure practice primarily used in family law and small civil disputes, has steadily gained prominence as an essential...

Understanding Conflict Resolution in Mediation In our fast-paced society, conflicts are an everyday reality. Whether they arise within...

With the continued backlog of cases mediation is now more than ever the best choice to find a resolution for your dispute.  Get your...

With the continued backlog of cases mediation is now more than ever the best choice to find a resolution for your dispute.  Get your...

With the continued backlog of cases mediation is now more than ever the best choice to find a resolution for your dispute.  Get your...

With the continued backlog of cases mediation is now more than ever the best choice to find a resolution for your dispute.  Get your...