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Writer's pictureEd Johnson

As lockdown ends so the great work of mediation must begin

With the limited access to courts and lawyers mediation is even more so now than ever the best choice to find a resolution for your dispute. Get your dispute resolved now while you can’t go anywhere you can really concentrate on what’s important and what deserves your time and energy.


Northwest Mediation uses Zoom, Skype and FaceTime as well as the phone and emails to resolve disputes so please do not feel that you cannot contact us as there are limits on physical meetings. Something seems to be awry with the old picture facility today sorry about that folks.


As we look towards the re-opening of “normal” life there’s a reminder here that in Malaysia (as with many countries) mediation has been seen as a way to reduce the spiralling number of cases arising from contractual breaches, which either have at their heart the pandemic itself or legislation which caused breaches to become necessary.


In Malaysia the country has set up the Pusat Mediais Covid-19 (PMC-19) mediation service accessed online for all contract issues which have arisen from the lockdown, which there was under the Prevention of Disease Act.


Provided the issue at stake is under RM500,000 (about £90,000), the parties can access the process, if the parties are individuals the government will even pay the mediation costs (subject to means assessment), and as with any civil mediation in the UK if the party breaches the subsequent agreement they can go straight to court for enforcement.


Over in Honolulu there’s more evidence for my ongoing argument that most landlord and tenant matters, especially as the moratorium in Hawaii ends on the 13/4/21, just after we in UK might be able to have friends in the garden (for those of you keeping count of the days).


This article reminds both landlords and tenants that a “win” at court comes at a price with costs not necessarily being recovered and a better result all round being achieved where the parties work together on a leaving date without having to fight it out at court only for the tenant to disappear and leave the place in a mess.


As well as being a landlord and tenant mediator with another hat on I work for some landlords and more often than not if they can speak with defaulting tenants they can reach an agreement on timing and sometimes even back overdue payments without the expense of a s21 application.



My kids went back to school this week, this last lockdown has not been easy on them mentally so I will be glad to get them back at their desks in school and away from their home school/bedrooms even with three covid tests and having to scan a bar code to complete a test each time!


In Philadelphia you may recall that I wrote about the mediation taking place with teachers concerned about exposure to the virus. The mediation was successful and teachers in 53 schools have been approved to return to in person teaching with a further 45 from next week.

The city wants all pr-k (that’s nursery class to you and me) back by the 22nd of the month or at least a plan in place by that date for them all to be back.


The return comes after specific steps were taken in each school including rapid testing for staff and students, face masks being made available and the wearing of them mandatory and smaller class sizes with more space between pupils wherever possible.


Now you know I’m no fan of “celeb” culture, I see no benefit from it but accept that others follow every twist in certain family sagas like they were actually interesting.


So this week’s famous for being famous is Kim Kardashian who gets mentioned because she is beginning her divorce mediation with Kanye West (some time musical entertainer, future and previous presidential self-nominee and brand unto himself).


According to this report the pre-nuptial agreement in place covers most matters but not their family home, neither party is short of cash and hopefully clear guidance in mediation will see them settle their financial differences without too much trouble – who am I kidding they will want to make a spectacle of it and milk their breakdown as much as they have their relationship!


I remember when the Kardashian’s were just problems for Deep Space Nine, or was that something else?


As we’ve said before choose to mediate early and resolve your issues effectively, timeously, and with less stress and costs than going to your solicitor so you can get out the tunnel and see the light. You have an interest in the outcome the sooner you get round the mediation table the quicker you can move forward and avoid the grilling a cross examination in court would put you through.


By having a deep and meaningful discussions with parties the mediator elicits what the true “red-lines” are and where there is the potential for compromise, it is with this structured period of reflection that the parties are then able to reach an accord.


The flexible nature of mediation and the possible outcomes make it an ideal way to resolve disputes in an ever changing world and the open nature of discussions in mediation whilst remaining confidential allows all sides to engage fully in the process and understand the needs of all involved allowing parties to reach a conclusion which both sides can live with and move on.


There are so many situations which could have been resolved by early intervention of mediation it continues to surprise me the lengths the public will go to avoid referral.


Whether you need a mediator to help out with a construction matter in the Northwest, or council’s plans in Cheshire, a civil mediator in London, a commercial mediator in Manchester, a dispute resolution for your family in Liverpool, a neighbourhood mediation in Stockport, then our mediators at Northwest Mediation can help.


Mediation is cheaper, quicker and less stressful than running any case to court, it can help with any dispute whether it's an employment issue or the sale at an under value of a property, a fight with a neighbour, family issues, commercial disputes, civil mediation or inheritance, wills and probate arguments contact Northwest Mediation on 07931318347 or via email at ed.johnson@northwestmediation.co.uk

neighbour mediation; commercial dispute resolution; civil mediation; commercial dispute; corporate dispute; commercial mediator; family mediation; inheritance wills probate mediation; property mediator; civil mediator; civil litigation; fast track mediation; injury mediation


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