Direct Mediation Services

10/01/2026

Our Head of Practice, Stuart Matthew Hanson didn't quite make it to India, but was a guest presenter online today on the topic of family mediation.

06/08/2025

Today we are celebrating our Managing Partner, Stuart, achieving Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status!

25/07/2025

This morning, our Managing Partner, Stuart, was one of the guest speakers at the FAMAC Annual Conference 2025, speaking virtually to family mediation colleagues in South Africa. The theme was the “Multiple Faces of Mediation”. He shared some of his reflections and concerns about the current trajectory of family mediation in England and Wales, particularly how the voluntary nature of mediation is slowly being eroded. It increasingly feels like the system has become the central actor in the process, not the participants. He explored how this shift affects the four pillars of mediation: voluntariness, impartiality, confidentiality, and self-determination, and what it means when courts begin to impose cost sanctions for “failing to engage with sufficient enthusiasm” in mediation.

We must ask ourselves:

Is this truly mediation, or are we witnessing its quiet transformation into a system-led procedure?

Can we preserve the integrity and values that make mediation a safe, empowering space for families in conflict?

Thank you to FAMAC (Family Mediators’ Association of the Cape) for inviting me to contribute to such an important and thoughtful event. Their work in promoting mediation across South Africa is inspiring and grounded in deep professional integrity.

23/07/2025

Congratulations to the wonderful Lesley Dudleston, who has been granted Professional Practice Consultant (PPC) status!

22/07/2025

🎬 Actors wanted for family mediation roleplay filming 🎬
We’re looking for an actor (any gender, any age over 25) to take part in a short filmed roleplay of a MIAM (Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting) for training purposes.
📍 Location: 'Online via Zoom'
🕐 Time commitment: 1 hour
📅 Date: At your convenience
🎥 Purpose: Educational video for trainee family mediators
💰 Payment: £30 gift voucher
No previous knowledge of mediation is needed. A clear briefing will be provided in advance.
If you’re interested, drop me a message. Thanks!

09/07/2025

Our Head of Practice, Stuart, has been shortlisted for Resolution’s Legal Aid Practice of the Year Award. As the only family mediator on this year’s shortlist, we see this as a quiet but important recognition of the role mediation plays in supporting families through some of their most challenging times—particularly when funded by Legal Aid.

Mediation is not an easy path for families in crisis, but it is often a kinder one. It gives parents and carers the opportunity to find a way forward with dignity, to prioritise the needs of their children, and to resolve disputes in a manner that reduces conflict, cost, and emotional harm.

Legal Aid makes this pathway possible for many who would otherwise have no choice but to turn to the courts. It is a lifeline that helps ensure justice is not reserved only for those who can afford it.

We are proud to champion family mediation within the Legal Aid system and grateful to Resolution for recognising the importance of this work.

Congratulations to Stuart's fellow nominees Grace Bradley, Ravi Kaur Mahey, Nicola Jones-King, and Sian Churchill, each of whom is making a real difference. Whatever the outcome, it is the work itself—and the families we serve—that matter most.

20/02/2025

Managing Partner, Stuart Hanson, has been published in the New Law Journal, where he discusses why family mediators shouldn’t be celebrating the repeated extension of the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme—a temporary fix that fails to address the real issues in our field.

Stuart Hanson on why mediators should not be celebrating the repeated extension of an inadequate scheme

13/01/2025

What every mediator should have in the shower!

13/12/2024

We are pleased to announce that Managing Partner, Stuart Hanson, has been awarded the National Mediation Award for Professional Practice Consultant (PPC) of the Year! Congratulations!

28/10/2024

We are delighted to announce that our Managing Partner, Stuart Hanson, has been shortlisted for a National Mediation Award 2024!

We are delighted to announce the Shortlists for the National Mediation Awards 2024! Watch the video or visit our website to find out who is among the chosen… | 28 comments on LinkedIn