Mary Briggs hosting a Family Mediation session.
Service Provider Details:
Mediation East is a service provided by Solicitors Bridge McFarland and is available from their offices in Lincoln, Louth & Mablethorpe. All mediators undertaking such work within Bridge McFarland are professionally qualified and, in addition to vocational accreditation, mediate according to the codes of practice of the Law Society.
Additional Links:
UK College of Family Mediators
Solicitors Family Law Association
The Law Society
Legal Services Commission
The Mediators
Mediation East is run by Jacqui Skelton, who is a solicitor specialising in family law as well as being an accredited mediator. Her colleague, Mary Briggs, has extensive mediation experience. Both are members of the UK College of Family Mediators and the Solicitors Family Law Association and are fully authorised by the Legal Services Commission to provide publicly funded Family Mediation Services.
 |
The family law experience covers all matters from divorce, finances and children through to acting for grandparents in childrens' matters and all aspects of separation relating to unmarried families.
Jacqui trained as an All Issues mediator with SFLA in late 1998, subsequently working with her supervisor on some complex cases involving substantial assets. Further experience was achieved assisting families with particularly difficult emotional issues to resolve.
In 2000 Jacqui's career took her to Stoke-on-Trent. While practicing there she was able to secure her recognition from the Legal Services Commission to mediate publicly funded cases. Soon afterwards she set up her own mediation practice: Stoke-on-Trent Family Mediation (SFM). During the next 2 years Jacqui conducted many mediations with matters ranging from arrangements for a complete settlement (finances and children) arising from a separation to dealing with specific matters relating to children or finances only.
Relocating to Lincoln in late 2002, Jacqui took up her current position as Head of Family Law (Lincoln office) with Bridge McFarland. Jacqui is also a partner in the firm.
She has continued her practice of mediation by working on a contract basis with Lincolnshire Family Mediation Service, again dealing with a range of cases including children and finances and one matter involving grandparents.
Profile: Mary Briggs
 |
Mary completed her All Issues mediator training with National Family Mediation in 2001 and secured full recognition from the Legal Services Commission to mediate cases in 2002. She has worked on many family mediation cases: all are different and they can involve finances, property or contact issues regarding children.
Mary has also worked with couples in “shuttle mediation”. This is where both parties would like to use mediation to resolve their issues but for whatever reason do not feel able to sit together in the same room to do this. The mediator then speaks to the individuals and “shuttles” between them to try and reach a settlement. This is a very specialised form of mediation but can provide the same benefits as face to face mediation in cases where there is a willingness but some good reason why meeting together is too difficult.
In 2003 Mary continued her mediation development and successfully completed training to consult with children as part of the mediation process. Again, this is a very specialised form of mediation which involves the children of the family being directly consulted as part of the process.
Mary has since gained her recognition as a Special Educational Needs Mediator, helping schools, the Local Education Authority and families to deal with difficult issues regarding childrens' educational needs. She has also worked with schools and parents through mediation to try and resolve issues where a child may be at risk of being excluded from school. The aim of this type of mediation is to look at ways of resolving problems before they get completely out of hand. This additional training has been useful when dealing with complex family issues.
Bridge McFarland is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority | VAT No 288 532913