Frequently asked questions

The first step is simply to get in touch: call, email or use the contact form for a no-obligation, confidential chat about your dispute. Once we've agreed the format, date and fee, you (or your solicitor) complete the Mediation Booking Form and the parties sign the Mediation Agreement ahead of the day. You can download both forms here.

It helps to know the parties involved, the nature of the dispute, the value of the claim and any counterclaim, whether the parties are legally represented, and your preferred dates and format (in person or remote). Fees are always quoted individually after a short discussion of your needs.

Contact Alistair directly by phone or email to check available dates and hold a provisional booking. As he runs one of the busiest mediation practices in the UK, it's best to enquire as early as possible.

Fees are clear, published and proportionate to the value and complexity of the dispute. Guideline rates for an in-person, full-day mediation start at £3,450 + VAT (two parties, claims under £250k) and are usually split equally between the participants. Larger and multi-party matters are priced by value band. See the full fee table on The Cost page.

The guideline fee covers all administration, up to five hours' reading and preparation, pre-mediation liaison with each party and their lawyers, travel time and a full 8-hour mediation day. If no settlement is reached on the day, it also covers further follow-up work by phone, video or email (within reason). See what the fee includes.

Yes. All quoted guideline rates are exclusive of VAT, which is added at the prevailing rate.

Guideline fees are usually split equally between the participants, though a different split can be agreed where appropriate.

Yes, a 10% discount applies to remote (video-conference) mediations, based on the published guideline rates.

For in-person mediations, travel, subsistence and accommodation are charged in addition to the fee. Typical examples range from £25 + VAT for Bristol/Bath to £300 + VAT for London, with longer distances priced on request. See the travel table on The Cost page.

The standard fee covers an 8-hour day. If preparation or the mediation day runs beyond the hours included, an hourly rate applies, calculated as 10% of the overall fee, divided into 15-minute units.

For non-monetary disputes (such as boundary issues), daily or hourly rates apply, and concessionary rates may be available where appropriate. Just raise it when you enquire and Alistair will aim to find a cost acceptable to all parties.

Two documents are involved: the Mediation Booking Form (to request and confirm a date) and the Mediation Agreement (the contract that governs the process, signed by all participants before the mediation). Both are available to download.

Everything is on the Documents page, where you can download the Modern Mediation Agreement (PDF), a blank Mediation Booking Form (Word) and a Specimen Mediation Agreement (PDF) for reference.

Mediation is a private process regulated by a contract between the participants and the mediator, the Mediation Agreement. It sets out the procedure and what everyone can and cannot do before, during and after the mediation, and is signed by all participants. Read more about the process or view Alistair's standard agreement.

Mediation is a voluntary, confidential form of alternative dispute resolution. The parties (and their lawyers, if any) meet with a neutral mediator to negotiate a settlement. It is conducted "without prejudice", giving a safe environment to explore settlement as an alternative to court or arbitration. Learn more about mediation.

Yes, the process is confidential and without prejudice, so nothing said can be used in court and the mediator cannot be called as a witness. Any settlement is not binding until it is recorded in a written agreement signed at the end of the mediation day.

Alistair offers both. In-person formats range from a standard 8-hour day to multi-day, 4-hour and 90-minute telephone sessions, plus a Med-Arb hybrid. Remote mediation by Zoom works well for international disputes or where travel is impractical (and attracts a 10% discount). Explore the options, in-person and remote mediation.

Alistair usually begins with private sessions with each party, moves to a joint session if helpful, then into confidential "shuttle" discussions to carry offers between the rooms. A standard day runs around 10am–6pm. See what to expect on the day.

All types of civil and commercial dispute, including construction and engineering, commercial contracts, property and land, company and shareholder, insurance, professional liability, partnership, inheritance and probate, and many more, from modest claims to complex multi-party cases up to £100 million. See the full list of dispute types.

Alistair is a full-time lawyer-neutral with over 750 mediations and 30 years in dispute resolution. He is ranked in the top tiers of the Legal 500 (Hall of Fame), Chambers & Partners and Who's Who Legal, is a Member of the Civil Mediation Council, subscribes to the European Code of Conduct for Mediators, and carries professional indemnity insurance. Read about his qualifications.