Why is this necessary?
The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and the Sanction Regimes apply to all firms.
Legal regulators require firms to know the participants to mediation. (Even though Mediation is not a legal service we are still required to comply with the legal regulators and the Law.) The firm can be subject to fines and imprisonment for not complying and thus we seek your cooperation in undertaking these checks.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the legal regulators have been particularly robust in ensuring that firms carry out relevant checks.
If you have instructed a solicitor in the last 2 years you will be familiar with the compliance checks generally required, you might also have noticed similar types of checks are carried out by conveyancers, accountants, and financial institutions such as banks, building societies, investments providers and auction houses.
We are required to verify identity and address, whether you are an individual and/or an entity(such as a sole trader, partnership, company, trust, charity, etc).
Can a previous due diligence check be sent to us?
No, we cannot place reliance on such checks, we are required to undertake our own checks.
What do you need to do?
- Complete the contact us form and we will send you the Mediation questionnaire
- After the Mediation questionnaire has been submitted, we will send you the e-verification check for you to complete
- We may have to ask some further questions
- CDD must be completed before an initial appointment can be offered
What does it cost?
Mandatory Risk and Compliance checks – administrative charges
- £50 plus vat** per person for each individual digital e-verification
- £50 plus vat** for each entity (non-natural – e.g. sole trader, partnership, company, trust, charity etc)
Can we inform you of the outcome of such checks or give you obtain a copy?
No, we cannot provide you with a copy of the checks, or the outcome.
If we are not able to proceed, we might not be able to inform you of the reason why as this could be regarded as tipping off or some other crime.
Do people object to completing these checks?
We have not found any reluctance by people who want to us our services. We cannot proceed to an information Meeting or Mediation Session without the parties co-operating with the checks and requests for information.
What do Litigation Law Firms ask for?
Having regard to the legal regulatory guidance it is likely that you will be asked to provide information and documentation pursuant to the individual firm’s anti-money laundering, compliance, and financial sanction onboarding policy. They are also likely to charge you for undertaking such checks.
** vat is currently charged at 20%
Mediation Fees
Information Meetings
Before you can book an Information Meeting you must comply with our Due Diligence requirements. Administrative charges apply.
Why Should I book an Information Meeting?
Most people are aware of what happens at court, and what a court looks like.
But you might not be aware of what happens during a Mediation Session. Instead of it being a surprise on the day, we would suggest that you book an Information Meeting so that we can provide you with information.
It also gives you a no obligation opportunity to consider if our mediation service is right for you and the other party.
You can bring your solicitor along if you require. (We will need the name of your solicitor in advance as we will have to check that they are registered at the Law Society, this is part of Due Diligence.)
What is included in the Information Meetings?
- Fixed fee: £100 plus vat** per party
- Venue: In-person at Harrow Business Centre
- Duration: Up to one hour
- This is for one party only, other parties should book separate Information Meetings
- Content: We will inform you about our mediation service and what to expect if you proceed to book a Mediation Session.
** vat is currently charged at 20%
What is not included and exclusions:
- We do not read any documentation prior to your Information Meeting
- We do not offer legal advice, you should obtain legal advice from a solicitor
- We do not assess your case, you should obtain legal advice from a solicitor
- We do not comment on the strength or weakness of your case, you should obtain legal advice from a solicitor
- We do not assume any conduct of your case, you should obtain legal advice from a solicitor
- We do not determine your matter
- Your obligations to comply with the law, statutory limitations, Court orders, Court directions. protocols etc remains with you and your legal representatives.
- We do not act for you or represent you
- We do not adjudicate or judge your matter
- Catering and refreshments are excluded.
- No follow-up information is sent to the party after the Information Meeting.
- If the party wishes to proceed with a Mediation Session, it is their responsibility to contact the other potential party and provide them with our contact details.
- There is no obligation to proceed with a Mediation Session after the Information Meeting.
- There is no going contractual relationship with the party after the Information Meeting.
- See the privacy notice regarding when documentation will be destroyed.
The aforementioned is subject to the firm’s terms and conditions of business.
Mediation Session
Due Diligence
Prior to booking a Mediation session, if not already done all participants and attendees to a Mediation must comply with our due diligence requests and checks. Please note the administrative charges apply.
Mediation sessions can be booked either for:
- Half day: from 9.30am to 1.30pm including break times
- One day: from 9.30am to 4.30am including break times and lunch
Mediation Sessions: Two Party Only
Both parties should have agreed to attend mediation.
For a Mediation Session in which a monetary value can be attached (usually Property Disputes Mediation and Money Disputes Mediation)
Fixed Fee – half day – where the claim value is under £100,000 (calculated on the basis of the combined claim and counterclaim value, plus the legal costs and court fee claimed)
What is included:
- Fixed Fee: £600 plus vat** each from the two parties (if there are more parties the costs and length of mediation will have to be reviewed.)
- Half day from 9.30am to 1.30pm including break times, and lunch.
- The mediators fee must be paid in full by all the parties prior to the booking of the venue, otherwise the mediation will be cancelled or postponed at the mediator’s discretion.
- Reading time: up to 2 sides of A4 font size 14
- A preliminary discussion of your issue – up to one hour with each party prior to the Mediation Session, on a separate date.
- Each party’s solicitor can attend to provide legal advice, support and to draft any agreement.
** vat is currently charged at 20%
What is not included and exclusions:
- Venue: The Mediator is not responsible for searching or organising the venue, the venue should be in Harrow or Central London, within 10 mins walk of a tube station.
- Venue: the parties are jointly responsible for booking the venue (at least 3 rooms is normal), changing the booking, extending the booking, cancelling the booking and notifying the mediator of the venue,
- Venue: The parties are jointly responsible for booking the venue and sharing the costs, and disbursements involved and any cancellation costs. They can make their own arrangements as to how this is done, and this is not a matter for the Mediator’s consideration.
- Venue: Catering: the parties are jointly responsible for providing refreshments and lunch for all their parties, attendees and the mediator. The parties can make their own arrangements as to how this is done, and this is not a matter for the Mediator’s consideration.
- Venue: The Mediator is not responsible for booking the venue, or managing the booking.
- Documentation: The Mediator does not read any documentation save for the 2 sides of A4 font size 14 from each of the parties.
- We do not offer legal advice, you should obtain legal advice from a solicitor
- We do not assess your case, you should obtain legal advice from a solicitor
- We do not comment on the strength or weakness of your case, you should obtain legal advice from a solicitor
- We do not assume any conduct of your case, you should obtain legal advice from a solicitor
- We do not determine your matter
- Your obligations to comply with the law, statutory limitations, Court orders, Court directions. Protocols, and what constitutes a binding agreement, etc with each party and their legal representatives.
- We do not act for you or represent you
- We do not adjudicate or judge your matter
- We do not provide solutions or proposals for settlement; the parties provide solutions and proposals.
- The parties must have full authority to settle the matter.
- The parties or their solicitors will draft the Agreement, Tomlin Order or Consent Order.
- The parties will seek independent legal advice as and when they need it.
- The parties and their solicitors will sign the Agreement, Tomlin Order or Consent Order
- The Mediator will not draft or sign the Agreement, Tomlin Order or Consent Order
- We do not provide a follow-up session unless requested by the parties and booked by them.
- Overtime: if the parties continue and the mediator agrees.
- Travel costs and accommodation costs
- There is no on-going contractual relationship with any of the parties after the Mediation Session.
- See the privacy notice regarding when documentation will be destroyed.
The aforementioned is subject to the firm’s terms and conditions of business.
Fixed Fee – One day –where the claim value is under £100,000 (calculated on the basis of the combined claim and counterclaim value, plus the legal costs and court fee claimed)
What is included:
Fixed Fee:
- £900 plus vat** from each of the two parties (if there are more parties the costs and length of mediation will have to be reviewed.)
- One day is from 9.30am to 4.30pm including break times, and lunch.
- The mediators fee must be paid in full by all the parties prior to the parties booking of the venue, otherwise the mediation will be cancelled or postponed at the mediator’s discretion.
- Reading time: up to 4 sides of A4 font size 14
- A preliminary discussion of your issue – up to one hour prior to the mediation session, on a separate date
- Each party’s solicitor can attend to provide legal advice, support and to draft any agreement.
- Venue: The Mediator is not responsible for searching or organising the venue, the venue should be in Harrow or Central London, within 10 mins walk of a tube station.
- Venue: the parties are jointly responsible for booking the venue (at least 3 rooms is normal), changing the booking, extending the booking, cancelling the booking and notifying the mediator of the venue,
- Venue: The parties are jointly responsible for booking the venue and sharing the costs, and disbursements involved and any cancellation costs. They can make their own arrangements as to how this is done, and this is not a matter for the Mediator’s consideration.
- Venue: Catering: the parties are jointly responsible for providing refreshments and lunch for all their parties, attendees and the mediator. The parties can make their own arrangements as to how this is done, and this is not a matter for the Mediator’s consideration.
- Venue: The Mediator is not responsible for booking the venue, or managing the booking.
- Documentation: The Mediator does not read any documentation save for the 4 sides of A4 font size 14 from each of the parties.
- We do not offer legal advice, you should obtain legal advice from a solicitor
- We do not assess your case, you should obtain legal advice from a solicitor
- We do not comment on the strength or weakness of your case, you should obtain legal advice from a solicitor
- We do not assume any conduct of your case, you should obtain legal advice from a solicitor
- We do not determine your matter
- Your obligations to comply with the law, statutory limitations, Court orders, Court directions. Protocols, and what constitutes a binding agreement, etc remains with each party and their legal representatives.
- We do not act for you or represent you
- We do not adjudicate or judge your matter
- We do not provide solutions or proposals for settlement; the parties provide solutions and proposals.
- The parties must have full authority to settle the matter.
- The parties or their solicitors will draft the Agreement, Tomlin Order or Consent Order.
- The parties will seek independent legal advice as and when they need it.
- The parties and their solicitors will sign the Agreement,Tomlin Order or Consent Order
- The Mediator will not draft or sign the Agreement, Tomlin Order or Consent Order
- We do not provide a follow-up session unless requested by the parties and booked by them.
- Overtime: if the parties continue and the mediator agrees.
- Travel costs and accommodation costs
- There is no on-going contractual relationship with any of the parties after the Mediation Session.
- See the privacy notice regarding when documentation will be destroyed.
The aforementioned is subject to the firm’s terms and conditions of business.
** vat is currently charged at 20%
Claims More Than £100,000
For claims more than £100,000 contact us.
Workplace / Non-Monetary Value/ Multi-Party Mediation
For disputes without a monetary value, or multi-party disputes, please contact us.
Follow-up Meetings (Joint Sessions)
Fixed Fee
- up to 2 hours from 9.30am to 11.30am including any break times
- £350 plus vat** per person
What is not covered in the fixed fee
- Venue: Organising an in-person venue
- Venue: booking, extending booking, amending booking, re-scheduling booking, cancelling booking.
- Venue: The costs of an in-person venue (minimum of three rooms is strongly recommended), in Central London 10 minutes’ walk from a tube station
- Venue: Catering - Refreshments and other disbursements for all participants including the mediator, the parties joint pay for refreshment for all the attendees and the mediator
- Overtime: if the parties continue and the mediator agrees.
- There is no ongoing contractual relationship with the parties after the Follow-up Meeting.
- Travel costs and accommodation costs
See the terms and conditions of business.
Overtime
Each additional hour to include part of the hour
Hourly rate £300 plus vat** per party
** vat is currently charged at 20%
See above for travel time costs + vat**
Our history
The Principal of the firm has a LLB (Hons.), LLM (Masters in Law), Legal Practice Course at the College of Law, has undertaken a Will Writing Course, is a (Resolution First for Families Trained) Family Mediator all issues, a trained Civil & Commercial Mediator, a trained Workplace and Interpersonal Mediator. The Principal is a member of CMC (Civil Mediation Council), and the IMI (International Mediation Institute).
The Principal has completed several professional development courses/ webinars in the area of family law, general civil and has an interest in risk, compliance, and anti-money laundering.
The Principal is a member of the Law Society Risk and Compliance Community, the International Compliance Association (ICA) and the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS). The Principal is a certified ICA Internal Auditor in Compliance Management Systems, ICA certificate in KYC/CDD, ICA Essentials Course in Managing Sanctions Risks and Anti-Money Laundering, and ICA courses in SARs (Suspicious Activity Reporting). In addition, the Principal has attended ACAMS, AML General Auditors, AML Foundations Certificate and a Certificate. In addition, the Principal has obtained ACAMS certificates in the following:- AML General Awareness Certificate, AML Foundation Certificate, and Risk Assessment Certificate.
The Principal has completed a specialist course in Anti-Money Laundering Auditing.
The Principal worked as a solicitor for over 30 years, initially with a mixed caseload of civil (personal injury, housing disputes, general civil work, debt collection, and family law), then specialised in family law; working with a mixed client base of legal aid and private clients from all walks of life. For over 20 years, the Principal has only worked with private paying clients who were Low to Middle Net Worth. The Principal has acted for hundreds of clients from all walks of life - from employees, self-employed, business owners, and other professionals - such as bankers, teachers, doctors, police, emergency services, people who work for the forces, transport workers, nursery managers, nurses, and solicitors, and homemakers, etc.
The Principal is committed to reducing conflict and looking at non-court resolutions. The movement towards alternative methods of resolution and non-court resolution is something that the judiciary, the government, ACAS, and Heads of Business and Industry support.
We are a law firm and mediation service near you. We work with separated parents and divorce parents in Harrow, South Harrow, West Harrow, North Harrow, Harrow on the Hill, Harrow & Wealdstone, Wealdstone, Pinner, Pinner Road, Pinner Village, Pinner High Street, Pinner Green, Uxbridge, Uxbridge Moor, Uxbridge Road, Ickenham, Headstone, Hatch End, Stanmore, Stanmore Village, Little Stanmore, Ruislip, Ruislip Manor, South Ruislip, Eastcote, Rayners Lane, Sudbury Hill, Sudbury Hill, Sudbury Town, Northwood, Northwood Hills, Amersham, Chalfont & Latimer, Chorleywood, Rickmansworth, Preston Road, Moor Park, Hillingdon, North Hillingdon, Hounslow, Camden, Camden Town, Alperton, Ealing, Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Watford, Watford High Street, Watford Junction, Northolt, Carpenders Park, Bushey, Canons Park, Kenton, South Kenton, Kentish Town, Kensal Green, Northwick Park, Stanmore, Kingsbury, Brent, Neasden, Cricklewood, Dollis Hill, Gladstone Park, Neasden, Willesden, Willesden Green, Willesden High Road, Willesden Junction, Roundwood Park, Church End, Harlesden, Stonebridge Junction, Park Royal, Chalk Farm, Belsize Park, Lisson Green, Hendon, Hendon Central, Staples Corner, Edgware, Edgware Road, The Hale, Colindale, The Hyde, Grahame Park, Hendon, Hendon Central, High Barnet, Burnt Oak, Golders Green, Golders Hill Park, Queens Park, Brondesbury Park, Ladbroke Grove, Mill Hill, Mill Hill East, East Finchley, Finchley Road, Finchley, Kilburn, Kilburn High Road, Kilburn Park, West Kilburn, Swiss Cottage, West Hampstead, Hampstead Garden Suburb, South Hampstead, Hampstead Heath, Holloway, Belsize Park, Notting Hill, Westbourne Green, Southall, Wembley, Wembley Park, North Wembley, South Wembley, Barham Park, Brent Park, Hosenden, St John's Wood, Acton, West Acton, East Acton, White City, Shepherds Bush, North Acton, South Acton, Acton Central, Acton Town, Acton, Park Royal, Brent Cross, Upper Holloway, Tufnell Park, Baker Street, Paddington, Bayswater, Bloomsbury, Childs Hill, Shoot Up Hill, Maida Vale, Marylebone, Bond Street, North West London, London.
