Civil Mediation

Civil disputes, the disagreements between people and organisations over rights, money and property, are expensive and exhausting to litigate. Civil mediation offers a confidential, quicker and considerably cheaper way to settle them, with outcomes shaped by you rather than imposed by a judge.

Discuss Your Dispute

What civil mediation covers

Civil mediation applies to a wide range of non criminal disputes. These are some of the areas we work in most often.

Boundary disputes

Fences, hedges, party walls and contested boundary lines.

Easement disputes

Rights of way, access and shared driveways.

Landlord and tenant disputes

Deposits, repairs, rent and lease disagreements.

Inheritance and will disputes

Contested estates, executor conflicts and probate claims.

Professional negligence

Claims against solicitors, surveyors, accountants and advisers.

Personal injury claims

Compensation discussions without the court timetable.

Noise complaints

Neighbour noise, nuisance and quality of life conflicts.

Property damage

Damage claims between neighbours, owners and contractors.

Family business succession

Handover, ownership and role disputes in family firms.

For business disputes, see our commercial mediation page, or browse the complete list of dispute types.

Why people choose civil mediation

It keeps costs sensible

Most civil disputes are worth far less than the legal fees of fighting them. Mediation usually concludes in one or two sessions for a shared, quoted fee.

It is private

Court judgments are public. Mediation is confidential, so personal and financial details stay between the parties.

It is faster

Civil claims routinely take a year or more to reach trial. Mediation can be arranged in weeks and often settles in a single day.

It preserves relationships

When the other party is a neighbour, a relative or a fellow executor, you may have to live with them afterwards. Mediation settles the dispute without destroying the relationship.

Courts encourage it

English courts expect parties to consider mediation, and unreasonably refusing can cost you in legal costs later, even if you win.

You decide the outcome

A settlement can include things a court cannot order: revised arrangements, staged payments, apologies or agreements about the future.

A note on family disputes

Alongside civil and commercial work we mediate disputes where family and financial interests overlap: family business succession, inheritance, estates and elder care matters. For separation, divorce, child arrangements and family finances, see our dedicated family mediation page.

If you are not sure whether your dispute fits our work, ask us and we will tell you honestly, and point you in the right direction if it does not.

Civil mediation questions

What counts as a civil dispute?

A civil dispute is a disagreement between people or organisations about rights, money or property, rather than a criminal matter. It covers everything from boundary arguments and inheritance questions to professional negligence claims.

Do I have to try mediation before going to court?

Usually not, but the answer is moving. For defended money claims under £10,000 the court service refers cases to its free telephone mediation service automatically. Elsewhere mediation is still voluntary in name, though judges now have the power to order parties into dispute resolution. Even where nobody orders you, refusing to mediate without good reason can cost you in legal costs at the end of a case, even if you win. (Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil, November 2023; Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 3) Rules 2024, SI 2024/839, in force 1 October 2024.)

What does civil mediation cost?

Less than most people fear, and normally shared between the two sides. For disputes under £50,000 we work on fixed fees through the Civil Mediation Council scheme, so the figure is capped and agreed before you commit. For disputes over £50,000 we quote a bespoke fee based on the preparation your case needs, discussed with you upfront with no hidden costs. Against a defended court claim, with its filing fees, solicitor costs and months of delay, mediation is almost always the cheaper route. Our about page sets out the full approach.

Can mediation help with an inheritance dispute?

Yes, and courts actively encourage it. Probate and inheritance disputes are emotional as well as legal, and mediation gives family members space to address both sides of the problem while keeping the estate's costs down.

If we reach an agreement, is it binding?

Yes. A signed settlement agreement is a contract, enforceable through the courts like any other. If you already have a court case running, your agreement can be recorded as a consent order or Tomlin order instead, which lets you go straight back to court if the terms are not honoured. Either way you leave with something enforceable, not just a handshake.

What if the other person refuses, or it does not work?

You cannot make someone mediate, but an unreasonable refusal can count against them on legal costs if the dispute ends up in court. And if you do mediate and it does not settle, nothing is lost. Everything discussed stays confidential and cannot be used as evidence, your right to go to court is untouched, and the issues are often clearer for the attempt. According to the 2025 CEDR Mediation Audit, around 87 per cent of mediated disputes settle on the day or shortly afterwards, so outright failure is the exception.

Will our personal business become public?

No. Mediation happens in private and nothing said during it can be repeated in court. Court proceedings, by contrast, produce public hearings and public judgments. For disputes involving family finances, health, property or a neighbour you still have to live beside, that privacy is often the deciding reason to mediate.

Talk to us about your dispute

A short, confidential conversation will tell you whether mediation is right for your situation and what it would cost. Call +44 1604 785 785 or send us a message.

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