What do you most enjoy about mediating?
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The first breakthrough. The first time one side indicates that they are prepared to depart from a seemingly entrenched position to find common ground.
What, in your experience are the main challenges to reaching an agreement on the day?
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When parties focus on the legal advice they have received as to the merits of their case, they may maintain a positional stance for the majority of the day. This may appear an insurmountable challenge, preventing parties form exploring a forward-looking resolution based on their interests.
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One party might think, why bother, the court will rule in my favour. It is then that the role of the mediator becomes so important in facilitating the exploration of the parties’ current and future interests. Vital information which is not in a court bundle!
Why did you become a mediator?
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To facilitate party-lead conflict resolution.
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At University I first witnessed how parties in conflict often fail to notice their common ground. This stayed with me as I qualified as a lawyer. Alongside trial processes I advise on without prejudice settlement dialogues and mediations. I am fascinated by the role the mediator plays and, after one particularly challenging but successful mediation, decided to play that role myself.