Family Mediator / Terms & Conditions
Terms and Conditions for Using the Family Mediator Website
Read the conditions for using this website and understand how enquiries differ from agreed services.
Last updated: 31 October 2026
Scope of these website conditions
Reading has a limited purpose
These pages explain the service generally and do not supply case-specific advice.
An enquiry is a separate step
Opening a telephone link does not reserve a meeting or agree a price.
A service needs agreed terms
Confirm what is offered and the practical conditions before accepting work.
These conditions concern your use of the Family Mediator website and the distinction between website information and a service agreed directly. Reading a page, selecting a link or making an enquiry does not create an agreement for mediation, advice or a particular appointment. If you later arrange a service, its specific terms should be explained before you accept them.
The service name used on these pages is Family Mediator. Questions about the website or the identity and responsibilities of the provider for a proposed service can be raised by telephone on 0330 010 0028. Do not infer company status, professional credentials or a particular service contract from the appearance of the website.
Information must be considered in context
The pages provide general explanations of family mediation and related practical questions. They cannot account for the facts of every relationship, financial arrangement, safety concern or court process. A description that is useful for understanding a topic may still be insufficient for deciding what to do in an individual case.
Obtain appropriate independent advice before relying on information to make a legal or financial decision. A mediator does not become your legal representative because you have read the website or asked about an appointment. Do not delay urgent action, miss a deadline or disregard an existing order on the assumption that a mediation enquiry changes your obligations.
Enquiries and appointments are separate actions
The website provides a telephone route for enquiries. It has no booking calendar, payment checkout or form that confirms a consultation. A telephone link may open a calling application on your device; the link itself does not transmit a case description, reserve time or establish a price.
Confirm the appointment rather than assuming it
- The meeting's purpose and who would take part.
- The format, date and preparation specifically agreed.
- Any charge and how the arrangement will be confirmed.
Only treat an appointment as arranged when the relevant details have been specifically agreed and confirmed directly. Establish the purpose of the meeting, participants, format, date, preparation and any charges. If information remains unclear, ask before accepting an appointment rather than assuming a detail from a general service description.
A service needs its own agreed practical terms
Before any chargeable work begins, understand what is offered, who is responsible for it and which terms apply. Questions may include the amount and basis of a fee, what meeting time covers, whether written work is additional and how payment is made. No advertised price, free consultation or funding entitlement is created by these conditions.
| Action | What to understand |
|---|---|
| Read a page | General information does not create a service agreement. |
| Make an enquiry | Ask for an explanation without assuming a booking or charge. |
| Accept a service | Establish the scope, provider responsibilities and applicable terms. |
| Change a meeting | Use the directly agreed arrangements and consider applicable rights. |
Cancellation, rescheduling and refund arrangements should also be established directly. Applicable consumer rights continue to apply, including any relevant rights for a contract made at a distance. Where an early start is requested, its effect should be explained. A general enquiry should not be treated as an unexplained request to begin paid work.
Suitability is assessed individually and can change
Mediation depends on appropriate conditions for informed and voluntary participation. A general description of online, shuttle, parenting or financial mediation does not establish that the process is suitable for your circumstances. Safety concerns, pressure, access needs and the ability to understand the discussion may affect the assessment.
Conditions for meaningful participation
- Willingness and an opportunity to understand the process.
- Individual consideration of safety, pressure and access needs.
- A way to raise a new concern if circumstances change.
A mediator may determine that mediation should not start or should stop. Participants may also decide that they do not wish to continue, subject to any separately agreed arrangements for work and charges. A change in suitability does not guarantee a particular document, appointment, outcome or alternative service. Raise new concerns rather than assuming an earlier assessment resolves them permanently.
Proposals do not automatically acquire legal force
Mediation supports discussion; it does not allow a mediator to impose a decision on participants. There is no promise of settlement, a particular number of meetings, a financial saving or a result acceptable to a court. Progress can include identifying information or clarifying a disagreement without reaching a final arrangement.
The legal effect of a proposal or written record depends on its nature and the relevant law. Financial proposals may require independent advice and a separate legal process before becoming binding. Do not assume that signing a note, attending a meeting or discussing an option has the same effect as obtaining an enforceable order or contract.
Privacy and confidential discussion have different boundaries
Personal information handling and confidentiality within mediation are connected but distinct matters. The Privacy Policy addresses information associated with the website and enquiries. Any mediation arrangement should separately explain the boundaries of confidential discussion, record keeping, information sharing and relevant legal or safeguarding exceptions.
Do not assume that confidentiality is absolute or that all information can be used to support a proposal while being withheld from the other participant. Ask how a private disclosure would be handled before making it. Equally, do not share another person's sensitive information through an unconfirmed channel simply because their circumstances relate to your enquiry.
Responsible use protects other visitors and the service
Use the website lawfully and without attempting to disrupt access, introduce harmful software or gain unauthorised access to systems or records. Do not use contact with the service to impersonate another person, make threats or obtain information you are not entitled to receive. Explain whether you are enquiring for yourself or acting with an appropriate authority.
Take reasonable care with the information you provide. If a statement is an estimate, an assumption or something you have been told by another person, make that distinction clear. This does not require a perfect account; it helps prevent a discussion being based on information that appears more certain than it is.
Website material and personal use
You may read these pages and retain reasonable extracts for your own information. The text, design and artwork are provided as website material and may be protected by intellectual property rights. Personal access does not grant permission to sell the material, present it as another service's work or reuse the branding in a way that implies an association.
Do not alter an extract in a way that changes its meaning or removes a qualification on which the explanation depends. If you want to reproduce substantial material or use it for a wider purpose, ask about permission first. These conditions do not restrict uses that are permitted by applicable law.
Access and technical operation
The website is designed to make information readable across different screen sizes, with keyboard navigation. No technical design can guarantee uninterrupted availability or identical behaviour on every device. Maintenance, connection problems and device settings can affect access. Do not rely on the website as a store for information about an appointment or case.
Keep website access separate from case arrangements
- Retain appointment details through the arrangements agreed directly.
- Raise a specific accessibility or technical problem if a page is difficult to use.
- Do not assume website access changes an existing deadline or obligation.
If a page is difficult to use, telephone Family Mediator and explain the practical problem. A request for an alternative format or adjustment should be discussed directly. Your own network or telephone provider may apply charges under your agreement with them; selecting a website link does not change that agreement.
Responsibility and rights that remain protected
Nothing in these conditions excludes or limits responsibility where doing so would be unlawful. This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, and rights that cannot lawfully be removed from a consumer. A separately agreed service remains subject to the legal standards that apply to it.
General website explanations are not a promise that an individual decision will produce a particular result. The appropriate allocation of responsibility depends on the circumstances, the law and any valid service agreement. These conditions should not be read as requiring you to waive a statutory remedy or accept an unfair restriction as the price of making an enquiry.
Changes, concerns and interpretation
Website explanations and these conditions may be revised. The date on this page identifies this version; a later change does not automatically rewrite an existing service agreement or remove rights that have already arisen. If you are considering a particular service, confirm the terms offered for that service rather than relying solely on an earlier saved webpage.
If a provision cannot lawfully apply, that does not by itself remove the rest of the conditions. Mandatory legal protections continue to govern. These website conditions do not specify a court or attempt to prevent you using a forum or remedy available under applicable law. Questions about wording, access or an alleged problem can be raised by telephone, with the specific passage or event identified where possible.