Mediation is essentially a negotiation facilitated by a neutral third party. The neutral third party will help you to reach an agreement with your spouse or partner. This can be in relation to children, finances, or any other situation or issue you need help negotiating.
Both spouses have to be willing to negotiate for this to work – you cannot reach an agreement if one party will not compromise. It is particularly important to carefully consider whether mediation is the right course of action for you if there is a significant power imbalance in your relationship.
Bear in mind that mediators are rarely legally qualified, and therefore they will not be able to advise you on the law or on whether the agreement you are reaching is fair. This is why it is helpful to have a lawyer assisting you in the background.
The Family Mediation Council is an excellent resource for family law mediation. The website is https://www.familymediationcouncil.org.uk/
We often suggest that people living in the West London area get in touch with MiD. Their website is: https://www.midmediation.org.uk/