Meet Our Expert Family Mediators
Our team of accredited family mediators offers professional mediation services online and in person, across England and Wales. We help families resolve conflicts around separation, parenting, finances, and more without going to court.
Every mediator listed here is a member of the Family Mediation Council (FMC) and bring many years of practical experience to each case.
Rachel Poole
PPC, FMCA, CIM
Rachel is a highly skilled accredited family and child-inclusive mediator with extensive experience in complex financial cases, drawing on her career in the City's finance sector. Her calm, balanced approach helps clients feel supported and understood throughout the mediation process.
Amanda Lewis
PPC, FMCA
Amanda is an Accredited Family Mediator and Professional Practice Consultant with a strong background in family law. At Mediate UK, Amanda does not take on mediation clients directly. Instead, she oversees and supports the work of our mediators, providing guidance, supervision and quality assurance across cases to help ensure clients receive the highest standard of service.
Chris Yaffes
FMCA, CIM
Chris is an accredited family mediator and child-inclusive mediator with over a decade of experience, having practised since 2013. A key focus of his work has been supporting expatriate, transnational, and international couples, drawing on his own diverse cross-cultural background.
Penny Hogan
FMCA
Penny is an accredited family mediator, having completed her mediation training in 2021. Her background as a trained counsellor brings a unique dimension to her mediation practice.
Neil Sykes
FMCA
Neil is an accredited mediator and separation coach with a proven track record of delivering practical, effective solutions. Since 2017, he has helped families work through the challenges of separation at every stage of their journey.
Mitchell Robertson
WTA
Mitchell is a trained family mediator working towards accreditation, bringing valuable experience from his financial background where negotiation and collaboration were at the heart of his work. As a derivatives broker and later as a business analyst with a software provider, Mitchell developed his skills in bringing parties with different interests and resources together to find common ground and reach mutually beneficial agreements
Kate Miller
FMCA
Kate is an accredited family mediator with a strong legal background and extensive experience in mental health support. She holds a law degree and a master’s in International Human Rights Law and has worked for several years as both a paralegal and supervising paralegal.
Hannah Shapey
FMCA
Hannah is an accredited family mediator with a strong background in education and family support. Before training as a mediator, she spent over ten years as a secondary school teacher, where she developed a keen interest in supporting families.
Allison Borchardt
WTA
Allison is an experienced family, workplace, civil and commercial mediator with an extensive background in healthcare, conflict resolution, and professional training. She mediates both nationally and internationally.
FAQs:
What is a family mediator?
A family mediator is a trained professional who helps separating or separated families reach agreements about issues such as child arrangements, finances, and property, without the need for court intervention.
Do you offer online mediation?
Yes, all of our mediation services are delivered online, allowing us to support families across the UK with flexible, remote sessions. We also have a network of branches where we can hold face-to-face mediation sessions.
Are your mediators accredited?
All our mediators are experienced family mediators and members of the Family Mediation Council. Most mediators are accredited by the Family Mediation Council (FMC) and hold FMCA certification. Others are experienced and Working Towards Accreditation (WTA). You can check the individual profiles of each mediator for more information.
How long does mediation take?
It depends on the complexity of the issues, but most families reach an agreement within 2–4 sessions. Your mediator will guide you through the process and help you move forwards to agreement. 90% of our clients who go on to joint mediation do reach an agreement.
Can mediators give legal advice?
No, mediators can never give legal advice, even if they are solicitors. This is because they are acting neutrally for both parties. Legal advice can be helpful and we offer this for a fixed fee should you require it from an expert lawyer.
Book a Family Mediator
To get started, you can book a MIAM online and one of our experienced family mediators will take you through the process and we can then invite the other party if appropriate.