Remote mediation is far from distant

When the pandemic struck, remote working became an immediate necessity. This meant that many mediators and their clients had to switch to online platforms and get used to undertaking online mediations. I was lucky to the extent that my brother and his family live in Australia so I was already used to using Zoom and I had got over the "you’re on mute" problem long before both the catchphrase became commonplace and the "new normal" was on the horizon. 

Two years on we are still mediating via online platforms.  Some mediators have reported that their clients have actively enjoyed mediating from their own homes – they feel more confident and secure. Some clients may prefer not being in the same room as their ex but acknowledge that they would not want to be involved in a shuttle mediation so this new way of working is beneficial to them. 

Others (mediators and clients) struggle with the technology and feel that they would prefer to be in person. For some mediators, seeing the body language of both clients is really important and they feel they can only assess that face-to-face.

I am currently teaching hybrid mediation and during our sessions we discuss online mediation and how to get the best out of it. 

As we emerge from the pandemic, clients now have choices: they can meet face-to-face with the mediator or if they prefer have their mediation conducted online. It will be interesting to see which way becomes the more popular and the “new normal“.