Friday 30 January 11am – 12pm
For Family Justice Professionals
Register here
Speakers: Mary Raymont and Suzanne Kingston
Co-chairs: Sarah Manning and Elaine Richardson
This session focuses on children and financial cases and offers practical tips for lawyers on how to best support clients through mediation.
It begins by highlighting the importance of the MIAM (Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting), showing that it’s more than a procedural step—it’s an opportunity to educate clients about their options and empower informed choices.
The webinar then explains different mediation models—traditional, lawyer-supported, and hybrid—discussing which approach suits various client scenarios. It emphasises the lawyer’s role across these models, from preparation before the session, through participation if attending, and post-mediation support. Practical guidance will help lawyers manage client expectations, support them through the process, and assist in reaching an amicable resolution.
Communication is another key theme: lawyers will learn how tone, timing, and clarity in correspondence can prevent escalation and foster resolution.
The webinar also covers child-inclusive mediation, outlining when and how children should be involved and the lawyer’s safeguarding responsibilities.
Additional topics include the benefits of professional-only meetings and a set of top 10 tips to avoid common pitfalls in mediation.
| Your speakers | |
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Mary Raymont has been a family law solicitor for 33 years and a family mediator for 25 years. During this time Mary was head of the family team at a legal 500 law firm in the Southeast. Mary also taught an Advanced Diploma in Litigation for Law South in conjunction with Nottingham Law School for ten years and was accredited for the Law Society Children Panel for 20 years. Mary is currently a Law Society Accredited Family Mediator, qualified to conduct Child Inclusive Mediation and Hybrid mediation and is a qualified parenting coordinator. For the past 12 years, Mary has run Advantage Mediation Ltd, a family mediation service online and in Kent and in London. Working collaboratively other professionals, such a family consultants and financial neutrals Mary has a wealth of experience of mediating within all types of environments, including hybrid mediation, co-mediation and kinship mediation. Mary continues to work as a locum family lawyer, specialising in finances and children. Mary is a co-chair of the Resolution Training and Learning, a member of the Resolution Dispute Resolution Committee and co-chair of the Resolution Training and Learning Committee and has delivered training for Nagalro and Resolution. |
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Suzanne is widely known for her expertise in all aspects of family work, in particular the resolution of complex financial issues for high net worth individuals. Suzanne’s cases often have an international element and she has considerable experience in dealing with prenuptial agreements and cohabitation issues. Often referred to as “the Queen of Arbitration and Mediation’, Suzanne has a thriving mediation and arbitration practice and teaches both. She is credited with spearheading family law arbitration in England and Wales and worldwide. |
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Elaine runs her own business and is a solicitor, collaborative practitioner and accredited child inclusive Hybrid mediator. She supervises other mediators as their Professional Practice Consultant (PPC) and supervises family lawyers as their Family Law Supervisor. Elaine also trains lawyers and mediators in domestic abuse, safeguarding, trauma and high conflict. She is a Scottish Law Society certified trauma informed lawyer and the co-chair of the national Dispute Resolution committee for Resolution. |
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Sarah Manning is a Partner at Hall Brown and practices as both a solicitor and mediator dealing with financial and children matters. Sarah is a hybrid mediator specialising in complex, high net worth mediation cases by utilising other professionals working with separated families. Sarah is also a trained child inclusive mediator and can speak to children within the mediation process if appropriate. Sarah was named Family Mediator of the Year 2024 at the National Mediation Awards. |
