Our financial mediation service enables separating or divorcing couples to reach agreement on a fair financial settlement, at a very affordable cost.
Our expert family mediator will guide you both through a structured process, ensuring that all the relevant factors are considered, including meeting your housing needs and balancing your respective monthly income and outgoings.
Step 1
Financial Mediation
(Starter Pack)
£149 per couple
Purchase this to begin the process, includes:
- Starter Guide to Mediation process
- Each party will have an individual
introductory call with the mediator - Financial Disclosure process
Step 2
Financial Mediation
(3 hours support)
£399
Purchase this to continue the process, includes:
- Ongoing support from your mediator
- Joint mediation sessions
(usually done as Zoom video call) - Guidance towards reaching agreement
Existing mediation clients - use this link to pay for an additional 1 hour of support.
Summary
Our Financial Mediation service is a modern, convenient and cost effective way for a divorcing or separating couples to reach a fair agreement covering all aspects of your finances including: property, savings/debts, pensions and maintenance.
One of our expert Family Mediators will work with both of you to a) understand your circumstances, b) clarify your objectives and c) assist you to discuss and negotiate a fair agreement that works for everyone and is acceptable to the court.
- it is the most cost effective method of negotiating
- mediation can be completed in a relatively short timeframe
- you have more control and choice over the details of the agreement
- it is convenient, as it can be done from home via Zoom or phone call
Click each of the Questions below to find out more.
Who is this service suitable for?
It is a sensible option for couples who:
- understand that they need to discuss finances, but don't know how to go about it, or how to decide what is fair
- have tried discussing the matter between themselves, but are struggling to agree on everything
Mediation is not suitable for everyone.
For mediation to work, both parties must be willing to:
- share information about their financial situation with each other and the mediator
- discuss the matter on a conference or video call
If the other party is not willing to attend mediation, we can still help you to reach a financial settlement through one of our other services, either: Helping you negotiate a Fair Financial settlement or Support Through Court.
If you, or the other party, are not comfortable with discussing finances over a conference/video call then we may still be able to help - by using a version of mediation called shuttle mediation where the mediator talks to you one at a time rather than hosting joint video calls, please book an appointment to discuss.
Mediation is not suitable for couples where there is currently, or has been a history of, domestic violence. If you are in this situation, we absolutely can still help through a number of other approaches, please contact us to discuss.
Already fully agreed?
If you have already discussed and agreed a deal with your spouse/partner then you don't need mediation - you can skip this service and move to the next step, arranging a Consent Order.
What is the step by step process?
Step 1 - Find out more
If you are interested in this service then we invite you to book a free consultation to find out more about it, and ask any questions you might have.
Step 2 - Place an order and make initial payment
Use the 'Order Now' button on this page to order the service and make the initial payment of £99.
Step 3 - Schedule introductory calls
We will send you an initial Welcome Pack and ask for the other party's details, so that we can also send them the initial Welcome Pack.
We will provide you both with contact details for your assigned mediator.
You will both get access to an online booking system where you can each schedule an introductory call with the mediator. The mediator will speak to each of you individually on a 20 minute phone call to explain the process, check that mediation is suitable and gather initial information.
Step 4 - Provide financial disclosure
We will send each of you a simple form to complete. This is used to gather your personal details, financial information and aims/objectives for the mediation.
Once we have received the complete forms from both parties we will (with your permission) exchange financial forms so that each of you has a copy of the other parties information.
You can then schedule your first joint mediation session using our online booking system.
Step 5 - First Joint Mediation Session
This session will be scheduled on a date and time of your choosing and will typically last around 90 minutes.
This is normally done as a video call using Zoom so you will need a smartphone, laptop or PC/tablet with a camera.
In certain circumstances we can as an alternative do the session as a group phone call (i.e. without video) or as 'shuttle' mediation where the mediator speaks to each of you in turn rather than have joint sessions.
Typically in a first session the mediator will discuss the overall background, listen to your objectives, establish at a high level how much you have already discussed and what you do or don't already agree on.
The first major topic that we cover is usually property. We will explore what property/properties you own and how you each plan to house yourself in the future.
By the end of the first session we will usually have narrowed down the options to a couple of most viable solutions to property division and will have identified and further research or activity that needs to take place ahead of the second session.
You will each be given a clear list of actions that you need to complete before the next joint session. Typical examples would be: Get quotes for a new mortgage, Find examples of suitable new properties, or Obtain estate agent valuations of current property.
Step 6 - Activity/progress between sessions
Between joint mediation sessions you will each have some actions to complete. You can keep in touch with the mediator by phone or email if you need any support. You may choose to speak to a solicitor or other legal advisor for support (this is optional).
Often we find that significant progress can be made between sessions.
Step 7 - Further joint session(s) - as required
Whenever you are ready you can book your next joint session.
By choosing the dates for each session - you can set the pace of the mediation. A very fast pace would involve joint session once a week, a slow pace would be once a month.
Whilst the first session focused on property/housing, further sessions will cover all other financial elements relevant to your case, including: bank accounts/savings, loans and debts, income disparity, pensions, child maintenance, spousal maintenance (if applicable), inheritance, business assets, house contents, vehicles, personal possessions and any other significant financial aspects.
From our experience, most financial mediations take between 2 and 4 joint sessions.
Mediation sessions will continue until an agreement is reached.
Step 8 - Mediation Documentation
At the end of mediation the mediator will produce and provide you both with a document summarising the details of the agreement that you have reached.
Step 9 - Legally binding Consent Order
Your agreement will then need to be drafted by a solicitor and sent to the family court for approval by a judge.
This last step can be done through our fixed fee Managed Consent Order service.
Any restrictions or limitations?
How much does this service cost?
We offer professional mediation at a fair and very affordable cost.
We do not charge a single fixed fee to complete mediation because the amount of time taken per couple varies based on factors such as:
- the complexity of their financial situation
- how far apart the couple are at the start
- the couple's willingness to compromise
Our charges are £149 for the initial stage and then £399 for 3 hours of support from a Mediator.
Most of our mediations will end up costing £700 to £1200 per couple.
Example 1: Amicable couple with standard financial position
A reasonably amicable couple with 1 or 2 properties would typically need the mediation starter pack plus around 6 hours of mediation support at a total cost of around £950.
Example 2: Amicable couple with complex financial position
A reasonably amicable couple with some financial complications (e.g. buy to let properties, business assets or large pension portfolios) would typically need the mediation starter pack plus around 9 hours of mediation support at a total cost of around £1000.
If there is some tension between the couple and/or very different opinions on what is fair, mediation can still be a very effective solution - but is likely to take a few hours longer.
Price comparisons
1) Solicitor negotiations
Wikivorce mediation is clearly much less costly than spending £2k to £3k each appointing a solicitor to conduct out of court negotiation.
2) Contested court proceedings
It is also, of course, vastly less expensive than the £10k to £20k each that couples typically spend with a solicitor on contested court cases.
3) Other mediation services
The Family Mediation Council, a regulatory body for family mediators, quote and average charge for mediation of £140 per person per hour which is £280 per couple per hour.
Our mediation charges work out at around £130 per couple per hour.
Also almost all other providers insist that you each have an individual meeting with the mediator first at a cost of about £150 each or £300 per couple before the mediation can begin. We do this far more efficiently and typically it costs just £149 per couple to cover the introductory/set-up stage before the first mediation session.
How long will this service take?
- needing between two and four joint sessions to reach agreement.
- booking the sessions at fortnightly intervals
Who provides this service?
Why should I choose Wikivorce?
For many years there have been two main options for people trying to negotiate a financial settlement, either a) use a costly solicitor or b) struggle through the process on your own.
For many people - neither of these options sounds very attractive.
Our mediation service has been designed to provide a modern, user-friendly, cost effective alternative to solicitors or DIY.
Key benefits of the financial mediation service compared to using a solicitor:
- Cost: As detailed earlier on this page, the mediation approach costs 'hundreds' whereas solicitors cost 'thousands'.
- Control: Perhaps the most important benefit of mediation is that you have control and ownership of shaping the agreement, whereas solicitors can completely take over the case leading to clients feeling lost and peripheral to the whole process. If you go to court you will have far less say in the outcome. Agreements through mediation are far more customisable, and can be shaped to meet the individual requirements of both parties.
- Convenience: You can access our service from anywhere in the UK or beyond, we don't depend on local face to face meetings, using Zoom for joint mediation sessions, as well as phone calls and emails.
- Communication Style: We use plain, simple English and are happy to explain any aspect of the process to you. Unlike traditional lawyers who can sometimes come across as pompous and distant.
How do I get started?
To begin the process simply place an order online or book a free appointment to speak to one of our expert advisors.
1) Place Order
Click the "Order Now" button at the top of this page to place an order for the £99 Starter Pack. You only need to order one Starter Pack per couple. You can pay by debit or credit card, Paypal or bank transfer. If you have any questions about our service or if you want to order by phone, just call our helpline on: 01202 805020 or book a free appointment.
2) Receive Welcome Pack
We will send you both a Welcome Pack that explains how the process works, and will invite each of you to book an initial call with the mediator.
3) Initial call with Mediator
Each of you will have the opportunity to speak individually to the mediator before the joint mediation sessions begin. They will answer any questions you have and will confirm that mediation is suitable.
4) Financial Disclosure
Next, you will each be asked to complete a simple form to provide disclosure of your financial information (such as property owned, savings, income etc). Once completed, this information will be shared with both participants and the mediator.
5) Joint Mediation Session
You can now schedule your first joint mediation session.
