Mediation for Small Claims

From The 22 May 2024 Mediation In Small Claims Became A Requirement In Court Cases Filed To Resolve Monetary Disputes Of Less Than £10,000.

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Mediation is a form of dispute resolution which can be quicker and less stressful than dealing with matters through litigation, saving time and costs of proceeding to Court hearings and helping to reduce what are often long delays for hearings to be allocated by the Courts.

At Norrie Waite & Slater we see disputes arising from all aspects of daily life from the purchasing of goods which may be faulty or for payment of services which have not met the required standards, to name but a few.  These disputes can lead to protracted, lengthy arguments in correspondence between parties, ultimately culminating in Court proceedings and can costs thousands of pounds and they can take many months to years to resolve.

In small claims under £10,000, mediation is an option to look to resolve matters without the need for the Courts to be involved and is often successful.  More than 50% of cases were successfully resolved by using the small claims mediation service.

The Small Claims Mediation Service is free-of-charge and if an agreement cannot be reached between the parties, the matter would then proceed in the usual manner in the Court before a Judge.

This new ruling comes following the Government’s plan to increase the use of dispute resolution to try to bring claims to an amicable resolution more quickly, with the aim to save both time and costs for all parties involved in these matters

The HMCTS offers free medication and their Small Claims Mediation video explains what you can expect from the service and gives more information about appointments.

For more information about mediation or how we can help, please get in touch.

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