Telephone
Mediation
- You just press the answer button, simple!
- Save on legal, venue, travel & refreshments costs.
- Mediate from anywhere, even your own home.
- We can mediate for you within 14 days of contact.
- No more stress, worry & sleepless nights.
- No Court or Employment Tribunal.
- 100% Confidential & No Obligation
Telephone Mediation Service
Telephone mediation, self-explanatory, presumably? Well what is it? It is conducting a mediation over the phone surely I hear you say.
Although that is what it is, it is not as simplistic as that. There is a process and art to conducting an effective mediation remotely.
Phone Mediator Process
The mediator will conference both, all parties into the call. Deliver their opening statement and invite position statements. As in an actual mediation, at some point the parties will be spoken to separately. The mediator will at this stage, end the conference call, and have a private separate call with one of the parties. The mediator thus uses a series of separate calls, as well as conference calls, when they wish to speak to all parties.
Telephone Mediation Rules
A telephone mediation works exactly like an in person mediation. The rules of confidentiality, being without prejudice, and voluntary participation still apply.
The process is done through a series of consecutive & joint conference phone calls. In essence a mixture of both.
When To Phone Mediate?
Some argue typically, a telephone mediation is best suited for straight forward and uncomplicated matters. And for those disputes which are relatively small in terms of the financial value being claimed. Apparently disputes with a value of £15,000.00 or less are best suited for telephone mediation?
TELEPHONE MEDIATION VIDEO
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Director, International Commercial & Workplace Mediator & Trainer
Psychotherapist, Coach, Commercial &
Workplace Mediator, Barrister (non-practicing)
Director of Trust Mediation, Commercial Mediator
Dentist & Commercial & Family Mediator
Supervisor, Commercial, Workplace & Family Mediator
I Do Not Agree!
Having said that I have mediated disputes with values of hundreds of thousands of pounds over the telephone. Some were extremely complicated, and not so straight forward matters at all.
However, having been a mediator for over twenty two years I was comfortable in doing so. Having the relevant experience to undertake such matters. There are always exceptions to the rules. In general, although, I understand those who feel they are usually best suited to low value straight forward matters. I do not agree.
Travel Logistics
Logistics, where parties are too far apart geographically, using telephone mediation is particularly helpful. As this cuts out the travel time for the parties and the mediator.
As well as the expense of hiring a neutral venue, attendance costs of solicitors, and the headache of syncing of diaries.
Whereby it is often easier to find a suitable time and date which all parties can arrange / make if it is to be over the telephone.
Flexible
Again flexibility also is a key benefit of these types of mediation services, I have often conducted telephone mediation’s in the evening or on a weekend, this assists parties with their work commitments, not having to take time off, arranging cover, childcare etc.
Finally, several of the face to face mediation’s I have conducted; have involved parties, who for a variety of reasons, do not wish to speak directly to the other party(s). Refusing to be in the same room as them, whereby telephone mediation, is ideal for such disputes and avoids all of this.
In Person
Although I have slightly touched on this above, where the parties insist on a face to face mediation. Where the mediator is not comfortable in using this method. Other mediators may have a different opinion?!
There really is no difference between the two types. As they both are as effective as each other if you have a skilled mediator with the right level of experience. However, emotion can be lost in translation? In several of my face to face mediation’s, I encourage when appropriate to do so, for the parties to speak to each other direct.
Although this can be done through a conference call, is it the same thing?As emotion, body language, expression’s which can assist in unlocking a dispute between the parties are all lost and cannot be seen by the mediator and or the parties. However, with online mediation, this is no longer an issue, as the parties can all see one another.
To contradict myself yet again, sometimes body language, tone and expressions are not always useful to be seen, experienced by the opposing party as they can sometimes hinder negotiations, therefore…it is actually useful in such scenarios.
Telephone Mediation – To Conclude
Part of being an effective mediator is knowing what to mediate and how. Having the skills in helping the parties to unlock a dispute and lead them towards a solution and to advise them on what particular type of mediation process to engage in.
The one which will give them the best opportunity to attempt to resolve the dispute between them, telephone mediation can be a bit of a double edged sword, but are very effective if deployed correctly.
Our Telephone Mediation Services Have Helped
This was a £25,000 three party dispute. It involved one claimant and two defendants. Concerning a breach of contract and alleged misrepresentation. A company acquired another company. Once the transfer went through, it transpired that it was not as profitable as was claimed.
Several files were still open, and not near completion as they were sold. The mediation took seven hours, took place via conference and consecutive telephone calls and an agreement was found.
A dispute that was in the throws of litigation and had been on going for three years. It revolved around economic loss a contractual breach resulting from a company being brought out by another. An expensive trial was avoided.
The defendants were being pursued for a nonsensical amount, in his own personal entity as well in his capacity as a director for his previous company which had been liquidated. The mediation took one day, was by way of telephone call and settled. Read the testimonial here.
