Cogent Mediation

Coronavirus/Covid-19 Update:

The coronavirus pandemic has caused considerable delays in all stages of the formal litigation processes and the reality is that many cases will be postponed, causing additional costs and disruption to parties. The advantages of mediation over formal litigation are more apparent now than ever – all stages of the mediation process can be conducted online and the process is unlikely to be derailed by backlogs, further lockdowns, or the need for social distancing.

Since the introduction of the lockdown in March, 2020, Cogent Mediation has conducted all of its mediations online. As the UK comes out of lockdown and businesses resume more normal operations, we are continuing to offer online mediation services, either in place of, or to be used in combination with, face to face mediations.

We have been delighted with the willingness of our clients to engage with our online mediation services, and with the positive results and feedback these have achieved – the below message is testament to our belief that we can retain the quality of our services in the online environment:

“Dear Lou and Clare

This is just to thank you both for your mediation service. I am very glad we chose COGENT, as I think you have done an excellent job and provided real value for money. Your prompting, questions and guidance have undoubtedly helped us reach a place in our financial dealings with each other as a family that we would have found very hard to get to on our own. Your highlighting of things we need to consider going forward and areas we need to pay attention to has been particularly useful. Your obvious commitment and integrity has given me confidence in your evaluations and some resulting optimism for the way ahead; and it’s nice to know you’ll be there for us should we need COGENT’s assistance again.

………

With best wishes,

JC

July, 2020.”

Welcome to Cogent Mediation.

Cogent Mediation offers mediation for disputes within Kent and surrounding areas. Our partners are accredited Civil and Commercial, and Workplace and Employment Mediators (London School of Mediation) and are registered as Individual Mediators with the Civil Mediation Council.

Cogent Mediation has a particular focus on small claims and small business disputes, as well as property, neighbourhood disputes and disputes within the education sector. We are also able to help with disputes at work which cost money through lost management time, lower productivity, higher sickness and absenteeism and higher employee turnover. In times of economic uncertainty, these costs are even more crucial.

We are also able to help in many other situations where conflict arises and relationships are strained – whether these are commercial or personal relationships. Our aim is to help parties to resolve their issues before disputes escalate to a point where relationships have broken down completely and the only option is litigation.

Cogent Mediation is a member of the CMC Fixed Fee Mediation Scheme.

"We pride ourselves on our ability to adapt the format of mediations we facilitate to suit the needs of the parties and the circumstances of the case.

- Clare Higgins
Partner, Cogent Mediation

Mediation can provide a quick, flexible and cost-effective way to resolve time consuming disputes. We pride ourselves on our ability to adapt the format of mediations we facilitate to suit the needs of the parties and the circumstances of the case. The process can take as little as a few hours, or a day, or be conducted over a series of meetings over several weeks. We can facilitate a mediation on short notice, and (where appropriate) are happy to communicate direct with the parties, rather than requiring their respective solicitors to provide us with detailed information and formal mediation bundles – this can help to minimise the costs to the parties and expedite the mediation.

We also offer 'i-mediate', an online mediation service which allows us to act as an intermediary between parties where communication has broken down. This can be used as part of the mediation process, or as a means of bridging the gap between parties to re-establish connections to resolve disputes. Cogent Mediation use telephone, email and virtual mediation rooms to act as a ‘shuttle’ between parties.
'i-mediate' can be particularly effective for lower value disputes, where the parties are located some distance from each other, making face to face meetings logistically difficult and where the relationship between the parties is such that they would find face to face meetings too difficult. 'I-mediate' can help to maintain momentum as parties work towards a mediation agreement and/or a face to face meeting and it can be helpful to re-establish connections between parties.

"Our mediations are focused on enabling parties to resolve their issues collaboratively, and to find a solution which meets their differing concerns as fully as possible.

- Lou Gedney
Partner, Cogent Mediation

Our mediations focus on enabling parties to resolve issues collaboratively, and find a solution which meets their differing concerns as fully as possible. We aim to open perspectives and keep expectations realistic, so that the mediation meeting has the best chance of success. Our mediators are highly experienced in dispute resolution and are well placed to facilitate effective mediations which minimise the disruption to all parties and which deliver practical, long term solutions. We offer a free telephone consultation to parties involved in a dispute to discuss whether and how we might be able to assist.

We adhere to the EU Code of Conduct for Mediators

@CogentMediation