All About Us!

New Horizon is here for you during this difficult time in your life. We provide a personal approach to divorce that offers a cheaper, quicker and less stressful process for separating from your partner

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About us

Making Your Divorce and Separation Easy and Fair is Important to us!

"I set up New Horizon Mediation Services as I wanted to be able to help and provide alternatives for those experiencing marriage and relationship breakdown or needing to discuss issues in respect of children. Based in Salisbury, New Horizon provides mediation and collaborative law services throughout Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset."

I would like to help you!

"Throughout my time in law, I have always chosen to specialize in Family Law because I've always wanted to help people through their difficult times."

Amanda Trappes-Lomax FCILEx

Director & Consultant at New Horizons

Our Family Mediation Process...

1 Initial Consultation

We offer a free initial telephone consultation to discuss with you the merits of family mediation and collaborative law. Please telephone me or email me with your contact details.

2 Separate Meetings

Family mediation enables both parties to initially meet me, the mediator, for a separate appointment to initially discuss their particular concerns and matters they feel are important to them. This meeting will allow the mediator to learn what issues are important to each party. Typically, the topics discussed include how to deal with finances and arrangements for your children.

3 Joint Meetings

After the first separate meetings, if you both decide that you wish to resolve matters through the mediation process, there will be a series of joint meetings with the mediator. The mediator always has to remain impartial; this means they do not act for either party or take sides but help you both to make decisions about your futures. It is usual for outstanding matters to be resolved in 3 to 5 meetings. Each meeting usually lasts for an hour and a half.

4 The Agreement

Once an agreement is reached, the mediator will draft either a 'Memorandum of Understanding' or a consent order confirming the proposals reached between both parties. This 'Memorandum of Understanding' will become legally binding once both parties have taken independent legal advice from their solicitors and it is converted into a Consent Order and signed by both parties. The Consent Order will then be forwarded to the court by post for final approval by the Judge. There is no need for either party to attend a court hearing.

Frequently Asked Questions...

Still unsure if Family Mediation is a better alternative to a Divorce Lawyer? Here are some frequently asked questions that might help you decide. Don't forget; if you have any questions Amanda will be happy to answer them during a free one-to-one chat.

How do I get started?

Fill out one of the forms on this page and Amanda will arrange to call you at a time that suites you. The call is totally free and Amanda will answer any questions you may have.

How can I be sure that mediation is fair?

Either of you can stop the mediation process at any time; mediation will only go ahead if both of you want it to. Mediators are impartial. The mediator does not take sides and is always there for both of you. Mediators don’t give advice, although they do provide information about legal principles and explain some of the things you should be thinking about.The mediator doesn’t ever make any decisions for you; you work out between you what proposals you think you would like to take to lawyers so that you can get advice and help before deciding to turn your proposals into a legally binding agreement.

How is Family Mediation different from the other options?

Unlike going to court or arbitration, family mediation recognises that you are the experts about your own family and leaves the decision-making to you.Unlike negotiating through your lawyers, family mediation allows you to speak directly to each other so that you can both explain what you are feeling and what is most important to you. It also lets you focus on the things that matter to you as a family.

What is the Family Mediation Process?

After signing the agreement to mediate, both of you will work with the mediator to:

Explain your family situation.
Set the mediation agenda. The mediation sessions are tailored around what you want and need to discuss.
Agree on the issues that you need to discuss.
Decide the priority of the issues. Some issues are more pressing than others and need to be resolved first, e.g., short-term financial support, holidays, contact.
Set time scales to deal with some issues, e.g., for separation or divorce.
Clarify the issues: sometimes it is not clear what matters are really in dispute and clarifying these avoid future misunderstanding.
Consider whether any other specialists might be able to help you.
Find common ground.
Provide/obtain information, e.g., complete a financial questionnaire or have a form explained to you. If you have financial issues to discuss, it is particularly important to make sure everyone has a clear picture of the family’s financial situation. This involves each of you providing details about any property you own, and your income and expenditure, very much as you have to if you go to court.
Look at the various options and reality test those options. When there are financial issues, you will need to consider what everyone in the family needs, especially the children.
Arrive at the option that best suits both of you and work out the details of your proposals.

How private is the process and can what I say in mediation be used against me later?

In family mediation, you usually negotiate face to face with your partner about arrangements that need to be made for the future, with the help of one or two neutral third parties – the mediator or mediators.The information clients share with the mediator is kept confidential, with some minimal exceptions (similar to the exceptions that apply to lawyers and therapists and counsellors). Proposals put forward during mediation cannot be referred to in court proceedings. If you try mediation, but it doesn’t work, the court will never be told why it wasn’t successful.

What is a MIAM's?

A Mediation Information Assessment Meeting is a meeting with a specially qualified family mediator, who will explain to you the alternatives to the court process. Most divorcing and separating couples in England and Wales who want to use the court process to resolve any questions about children or money have to show that they have attended a MIAM before they can apply for a court order.

The purpose of the meeting is to allow you to find out whether going to court would be the best way of resolving the issues surrounding your relationship or marriage breakdown (e.g. children, property and financial matters). In particular, whether mediation could be an effective alternative.

At a MIAM, you will meet with a qualified family mediator and discuss your situation on a confidential basis. Usually, this is a one to one meeting.The mediator will provide information about options available to you to resolve the issues around your separation and will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each option. The mediator will also ask questions and assess whether mediation is a suitable way forward in your circumstances.

Would you like to talk?

Contact details

Call Amanda now on: 07775 038 482

Connect via email

Email Amanda here:
[email protected]

Our Location

3rd Floor,
Cross Keys House,
22 Queen Street,
Salisbury,
SP1 1EY