Lawyers are paid by the hour.
Mediation takes hours. Litigation takes years.
Professional mediation for civil, commercial, workplace, and family disputes across England and Wales. Led by Eugene Pienaar — solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales (non-practising), CMC-accredited mediator. Settlement agreements drafted on the day, at no additional cost.
"That is not a coincidence. Litigation is a system designed to be expensive. Mediation is designed to be over."
"Most people in a dispute don't need a judge. They need a conversation — structured, focused, and led by someone who understands both the law and the human cost of conflict."
Litigation is adversarial by design. It entrenches positions, prolongs suffering, and transfers wealth from disputing parties to their lawyers. The average County Court claim takes 12–18 months. The average mediation takes one day.
Mediation is not a compromise between winning and losing. It is a different kind of conversation — one where the outcome is decided by the parties, not imposed by a court. Where relationships can survive. Where costs stay manageable. Where resolution happens now, not in three years.
There is a reason the courts now strongly encourage mediation before issuing proceedings. There is a reason MIAM attendance is compulsory in family cases. The system is beginning to acknowledge what mediators have always known: litigation should be the last resort, not the first call.
| Factor | Mediation | Litigation |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | £500–£800 per party | £5,000–£50,000+ |
| Time to resolve | Hours to days | 12–36 months |
| Outcome control | Parties decide | Judge decides |
| Confidentiality | Fully private | Public record |
| Relationship impact | Can be preserved | Usually destroyed |
| Stress level | Managed, structured | Prolonged, adversarial |
| Settlement binding | Yes — drafted same day | After lengthy process |
| Success rate | 70–80% settle on day | Most settle anyway (late) |
Every service includes a free 30-minute scoping call to assess whether mediation is appropriate — before you commit to anything.
Contract disputes, debt recovery, professional negligence, property matters, neighbour disputes, partnership disagreements. Any civil matter where the parties prefer resolution over litigation.
Employment disputes, team conflict, grievance resolution, manager-employee breakdowns. Earlier, cheaper, and less damaging than formal HR processes or tribunal claims.
Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings (MIAM) — required before most family court applications. Separation, divorce, children arrangements, financial settlements.
Included in all successful mediations. A legally binding settlement agreement drafted on the day — not a template, not a summary. A solicitor-drafted document that holds.
Full mediation via secure video conferencing. Available nationwide across England and Wales. Joint and separate sessions conducted remotely — as effective as in-person for most disputes.
Free guide: "Should I mediate or litigate?" · Online course: How to prepare for mediation · Mediation template packs for parties who want to come prepared.
A structured, confidential process that most disputes resolve in a single day.
30 minutes to understand the dispute, assess suitability, and explain the process — before you commit to anything.
Both parties sign a confidentiality agreement. Nothing said in mediation can be used in subsequent proceedings.
Each party submits a brief summary of their position and what they want to achieve. Sets the agenda without entrenching positions.
Joint opening session. Private caucuses. Shuttle diplomacy where needed. A structured conversation designed to find resolution.
Agreement reached? The legally binding settlement is drafted and signed on the day. It is done — no follow-up solicitors required.
All fees quoted per party. Settlement agreement drafting included in every successful mediation — at no additional cost.
All prices exclusive of VAT where applicable. Travel outside Surrey/London quoted separately. Multi-party disputes and bespoke arrangements — please enquire.
I qualified as a solicitor in 2002. Over the years that followed, I came to understand something that most lawyers privately acknowledge but rarely say aloud: the legal system, as currently structured, is not optimised for resolution. It is optimised for process. And process, when you are billing by the hour, has its own momentum.
Mediation is not anti-law. It is not a rejection of the courts. It is the recognition that for most civil, commercial, and family disputes, the most just outcome — for both parties — does not require a judge. It requires a conversation. A structured one. Led by someone who understands what is at stake.
"My key differentiator is simple: I am a solicitor first, mediator second. When the parties reach agreement, I draft the settlement on the day — legally binding, properly constructed, no follow-up required."
I hold an MBA with Distinction from Oxford Brookes and an LLB from the University of Natal. I am currently completing CMC-accredited civil and commercial mediation training with ProMediate. I am based in Windlesham, Surrey, and mediate across England and Wales — in person and online.
Read My Full StoryThirty minutes. No obligation. We discuss the dispute, assess whether mediation is appropriate, and — if it is — give you a fixed-fee quote on the spot. If mediation is not right for your situation, I will tell you that too.