ASM PLUS Education Articles
ASM Plus Family Team welcomes UK government grant initiative for family mediation
Contact us The #ASM Plus Family Team welcomes the recent announcement by the UK Government’s courts minister confirming that with effect from 1st April 2021 up to 2000 couples involved in family break up can apply for a £500 grant to pay for family mediation which has...
Specialist Business Coaching from ASM Plus – Team Relationship Coaching drives improvement in team dynamics enabling a family to work more effectively together to generate greater business success in their niche family business
Contact us Claire Jarvis is a specialist coach, trainer and mediator member in the ASM Plus Workplace, Employment and Investigation, and Civil and Commercial teams. This is Claire’s inaugural ASM Plus blog. Situation Family businesses often have interesting team...
ASM Plus Associate – Claire Jarvis
ASM Plus is delighted to announce that the workplace and employment mediator, team coach and communications expert Claire Jarvis has joined us as an associate. The combination of her lengthy and distinguished commercial background and her considerable dispute...
Family and civil mediation from ASM Plus – The case of Re: B ‘Hearings are not for hearing everything’
Contact us By Anthony Wooding, civil and family associate ASM Plus mediator and law lecturer Imagine the scene. Jack is going through the trauma of divorce. He has a preliminary meeting with a lawyer to get things straight in his mind. The lawyer tells him what a MIAM...
Family mediation from ASM Plus – Elaine and Peter, a case where notwithstanding a history of domestic violence and a housing problem, ASM Plus’ new associate family mediator, Joanne Phillips, successfully facilitated a viable and mutually acceptable child contact agreement. Here she explains what she achieved.
Contact us The Situation: We see this all too often; a marriage breakdown following domestic violence in the context of which an estranged mother is denied contact with her children by her husband. Outcome: As a result of a sequence of mediation sessions facilitated...
Civil and Commercial Mediation for startup companies From ASM Plus – Breaking the Cycle of Tech Startup Failure
Contact us My inaugural ASM Plus blog demonstrates that many of the difficulties that beset startups can lead to disputes and disagreements of one form or another. Additionally, it explains why timely, cost effective mediation provides an ideal means for such matters...
Menahem (Chuck) Kanafi
Contact us ASM Plus is delighted to announce that the accomplished Germany based mediator, former distinguished diplomat and US and New York attorney, Menahem (Chuck) Kanafi, has joined us as an associate. Chuck specialises in civil, commercial, international and...
ADR services from ASM Plus – a demonstration of how both in the short and long term, mediation and facilitated meetings really do have long term economic and time saving benefits.
Contact us Those who regularly read ASM Plus blogs will often see references to the use of mediation and facilitated discussions resulting in business people having more time to devote to their work, generating income and being more productive. Not so long ago I met...
Critical Thinking in the workplace from ASM Plus – Critical Thinking brings clarity and a successful outcome to the perennial challenge of being overlooked for promotion
Contact us By Roy van den Brink-Budgen, the ASM Plus world renowned expert on Critical Thinking The Situation: We see this so often: a loyal and talented member of staff is not only efficient and accurate in her work but she also goes that extra mile helping others to...
Mediation from ASM Plus. How to address the process of possibly bringing Alex Hales back into the English cricket fraternity.
Contact us This article explains how the ASM Plus facilitated meeting service could be used to resolve a potentially difficult sporting issue, one that could have very important implications for English cricket and its standing on the world stage. Cricketing fans...
Civil mediation and investigation from ASM Plus – Kafka, badly drafted legislation and how mediation and investigation make sense of it all
Contact us In my mid-teens, I was fascinated by “The Trial” by Franz Kafka and became a lifelong devotee. I came to realise that this very insightful book has relevance beyond its very bizarre plot. I have also come to appreciate how relevant Kafka’s work is to...
Civil mediation from ASM Plus – what do ASM Plus mediators mean by “facilitation”?
Contact us Blogs such as those published by ASM Plus invariably and quite rightly describe mediation as timely and cost effective. Such pieces also refer to the facilitative nature of mediation but what do we as mediators mean by facilitation? All sorts of people...
ASM Plus’s domestic and neighbour dispute and reconciliation service – an account of a 90-minute facilitated meeting by our Director, Paul Sandford, which shows just how effective a little talking and listening can be.
Contact us The case outlined below is one in which I facilitated an online discussion in March 2020, two weeks or so after the UK’s first lockdown started. The parties to the discussion were a disabled householder, Thomas, and James who was both his lodger and...
Family mediation from ASM Plus – a few thoughts on the transcript of the address given by the Hon. Mr. Justice MacDonald at the Four Jurisdictions Family Law Conference that took place in 2020. (1)
Contact us There can be little doubt that, not least in the United Kingdom, family mediation is a very effective medium for resolving disputes that arise as a result of marriage and relationship break and family disputes. There are people who when finding themselves...
Mediation and the art of eastern fusion cookery – A consideration of the views of the celebrated New York chef and restauranteur, David Chang on the subject of salt.
Contact us I might alternatively have entitled this blog “to what extent do ASM Plus mediators keep people happy?” I thought that a light hearted end of year piece identifying what a thoughtful, accomplished restauranteur and an ASM Plus mediator have in common would...
49 United States Governmental Institutions -v– Facebook or alternatively Mediation -v- the Litigation Monolith
Contact us This blog is not primarily intended to be a legal analysis of US antitrust law or the rights and wrongs of the Facebook related court actions highlighted below. Rather, it considers the logistics of the attendant exercise and the financial and...
Family mediation and Brexit – a mediator’s thoughts
Contact us It is well known that process of relationship breakup is one of the most emotionally challenging and stressful times in anyone’s life, and it may just be getting even more challenging. If you are contemplating divorce or in the process of divorcing and you...
Stamp duty holiday, conditional conveyancing contracts and mediation
Contact us By Paul Sandford and Russ Shackleton of ASM Plus It is well known that moving home can be one of the most emotionally challenging and stressful times in anyone’s life, and it may be just getting even more challenging. If you are in the process of purchasing...
Civil mediation from ASM Plus – “How to fix America” in one not necessarily easy lesson
Contact us Civil mediation from ASM Plus - “How to fix America” in one not necessarily easy lesson by Paul Sandford, director, ASM Plus. In the New York Times briefing published on 4th December I noted an article entitled “How to fix America” (1) The article comprises...
Family Mediation – Thinking outside the Box – What Does It Mean and Why Is Albert Einstein Relevant to Family Disputes?
Contact us Albert Einstein famously said, “You can’t solve problems using the same thinking we used when we created them” and “If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got”. How often do you hear of people claiming to think outside the...
“An argument that neither of us can win” – an observation on the benefits of family mediation and the “win-win” that it can bring about
Contact us Recently, in the course of watching a re-run of an episode of the 1980s television drama Auf Wiedersein Pet I was particularly struck by what was said during a rather heated discussion between a couple who were in the process of divorcing. The man, Oz, who...
Workplace and Employment mediation from ASM Plus – Rights, Remedies and the Serious Crisis in UK Employment Tribunals
Contact us As an undergraduate law student, one of the most useful pieces of guidance that I received came from a lecturer who facilitated a sequence of seminars on the topic of “rights”. In the context of looking at different political and legal regimes and...
The hidden costs of overseeing disputes and the benefits of an ASM facilitated meeting involving neighbours who were in dispute – an actual case handled by the ASM Plus director, Paul Sandford
Contact us A few months ago, I successfully facilitated a discussion in connection with a neighbour dispute involving two adjacent tenants. The process was instigated by their landlord, a small, publicly funded Housing Association. In essence one party had made...
Face to face and On-line Mediation and Facilitated Meetings from ASM Plus – how to resolve at least one of the underlying causes of grey hair.
Contact us Whilst recently browsing through an old cookbook (1) I chanced upon a particular “recipe”, a herbal remedy for treating grey hair and turning it brown. “All” one has to do is the following: Put a teaspoonful of loose tea and a teaspoonful of dried sage in a...
Civil, small claims and insurance mediation and facilitated discussions from ASM Plus – problem solving and why ASM Plus makes a difference.
Contact us Recently I read a short story entitled “The Tale of the Merchant” [1] which gives an anecdotal account of some of the attempts of some 17th Century Indian town guards to clamp down on food smuggling during a famine. One of the suspects was a rice merchant. ...
Family Mediation from ASM Plus – the case of Maria which amply reiterates the benefits of family Mediation.
Contact us Not so long ago I struck up conversation with an Anglo-Australian lady in her early forties. In the course of telling her a little about me I mentioned that I am a civil and family mediator. This interested her greatly and she recounted her experience of...
Is Your Soon-To-Be Ex an Idiot?
Contact us I’m going to bust a divorce mediation myth. It is the one called: “My husband/wife won’t use mediation.” https://www.youtube.com/embed/iBgwxYbzZgQ?rel=0 Now stay with me - you don’t want to be making a mistake believing a myth that could cost you...
How to Use Cash Flow Analysis to Assist in Mediation, (and a bit of thinking outside the box)
Contact us This account demonstrates how good, independent financial planning can take the sting out of divorce and faciliate an acceptable and permanent settlement. I was recently working with some clients who had filed for divorce and had reached deadlock on how to...
Civil, small claims and insurance mediation and facilitated discussions from ASM Plus – problem solving and why ASM Plus makes a difference.
Contact us Recently I read a short story entitled “The Tale of the Merchant” (1) which gives an anecdotal account of the failed attempt by some town guards who had been given the task of clamping down on smuggling during a famine. One of the suspects was a rice...
Civil Mediation – Why does “sorry” seem to be the hardest word?
Contact us You would think it was easy to say sorry. It is a short, two syllable word and from a very early age it's one that children are taught to say when they do something wrong. The one word that will help put things right. Back in the 70s there was a sitcom on...
Psychodynamic Literacies
Instead of considering ourselves the hero of our own story, and those we are in conflict with as villains, Brendan Schutte encourages people in troubled relationships to ‘rewrite the script’. HIDDEN agendas. Unconscious desires. Unspoken assumptions. This column is...
The hidden costs of overseeing disputes and the benefits of an ASM facilitated meeting involving neighbours who were in dispute – an actual case handled by the ASM Plus director, Paul Sandford.
Contact us Recently I successfully facilitated a discussion in connection with a neighbour dispute involving two adjacent tenants. The process was instigated by their landlord, a small, publicly funded Housing Association. In essence one party had made significant...
Civil Mediation from ASM Plus – Television Advertisements v Truth, Accuracy and Common Sense
Contact us By Paul Sandford, the ASM Plus director. One particular advantage of watching television through a satellite system as I sometimes do, is that I can fast forward through the advertisement breaks. Having done so and then having to endure them when...
ASM Plus’s domestic and neighbour dispute and reconciliation service – Thomas and James – an account of a 90-minute facilitated meeting which shows just how effective a little talking and listening can be (1) – A domestic/house sharing conflict successfully resolved
Contact us By Paul Sandford, the ASM Plus director A few months ago, I facilitated this particular case on line. It very clearly demonstrates how effective mediation can be in a domestic setting. Additionally, it resonates very strongly in the context of the current...
The ASM Plus Domestic and Neighbour Dispute Reconciliation Service – Tips on how to survive family crises during the current lockdown and what ASM Plus can do to help
Contact us Of late we at ASM Plus have noted a number of very positive anecdotal accounts on the internet of families who have taken the opportunity of being confined at home to bond and do things together that they might not have had time for earlier this year....
When it comes to black lives, it’s not just the thought that counts
By Kallan Marshall - ASM Plus is very grateful to Kallan for giving permission to us to post her excellent article which was first published on http://progressonline.org.uk. We urge all who see this post to comment on it and to circulate it on their social media...
Family mediation from ASM Plus – Family Mediation Online
Contact us By Austin Chessell, the convenor of the ASM Plus family team At ASM Plus we offered our mediation and other services online before COVID-19 happened but currently we are mediating online with all our mediation clients. The positives of mediating online...
Civil Mediation and Training from ASM Plus – Using MagicEye to Teach the Art of Reframing
Contact us By Brendan Schutte, the convenor of the ASM Plus workplace and employment team and a member of its Critical Thinking Team. Reframing is considered by many mediators to be an essential technique and mindset in working with parties to facilitate resolution....
Mediation and ADR Services from ASM Plus – COVID 19 For an Accountant Mediator! (or why self-isolating for a tax expert is no problem)
Contact us By David King, a member of the ASM Plus civil/commercial, family and small claims teams These are strange times that we live in! However, a great time to take a cool long look at ourselves and question what is important in our lives. What is certainly true...
Civil and insurance mediation from ASM Plus – an appraisal of the recent High Court decision of Ohpen Operations UK Limited -v- Invesco Fund Managers Limited (1) and the importance attached therein to civil mediation.
Contact us By Paul Sandford, Director, ASM Plus In a very recent blog, I considered the importance of the recently decided High Court judgment in the case of DSN – v- Blackpool Football Club (the Blackpool case) (2) in which Mr Justice Griffiths strongly criticised...
Civil and insurance mediation, ASM Plus – the very important recent decision of the High Court of England and Wales, DSN v Blackpool Football Club (1) given by Mr Justice Griffiths (2)
Contact us By Paul Sandford, Director, ASM Plus From the point of view of mediation and indeed all types of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) this very authoritative and well explained Blackpool decision makes it abundantly clear that parties to court cases who...
Family mediation from ASM Plus – an outline of a real case that demonstrates how the input and expertise of Henry Elliston, ASM Plus’s newly appointed financial adviser can help divorcing and separating couples to resolve their financial issues. This is Henry’s inaugural ASM Plus blog.
I recently met with a high earning couple who were in the process of divorcing and a divorce petition had been filed. Their joint finances were quite complicated and comprised substantial overseas property, a UK buy-to-let investment, complicated shareholding...
Family mediation and other services provided by ASM Plus.
ASM Plus is delighted to announce that the highly accomplished financial adviser, Henry Elliston, has joined our family team. Bringing his considerable financial acumen and expertise to bear, Henry will complement our highly skilled team by providing neutral and...
Facilitated meetings for resolving small claims and workplace related disputes from ASM Plus – A case involving a poorly managed gym where a facilitated meeting resolves a number of issues very promptly and saves a great deal of time and money.
Contact us By Paul Sandford, Director, ASM Plus Cummings is the customer relations director of Gymfit, a well-established chain of fitness centres with a number of elite gyms located in the wealthy districts of a number of UK cities. He notes that of late his staff...
Facilitated meetings for resolving small claims disputes from ASM Plus – A scenario involving a publicly funded community project where poor management and communication results in non-payment of invoices and bad feelings are generated.
Contact us By Paul Sandford, director, ASM plus Harriet, a young entrepreneur, was invited to join a committee chaired by David to deliver a young person’s talent competition, an event that had been awarded quite generous lottery funding. Harriet put forward a number...
Small claims dispute resolution service from ASM Plus – A case involving a dispute between a budget airline and a disabled passenger
https://www.asmadr.co.uk/contact-us/ By Paul Sandford, director, ASM Plus Harry and Sally book a cheap return Stansted to Lorento flight with Last Resort Airways. For some years Sally has been very ill. She is barely able to walk and if she wishes to mobilise for...
Tarquin and Golightly – A case study that clearly demonstrates why the ASM Plus Small Claims Mediation Service saves considerable amounts of money and time
https://www.asmadr.co.uk/contact-us/ Last year Tarquin, a young solicitor who works for a very eminent legal firm that attaches great importance to its employees behaving correctly at all times bought an expensive two-week skiing holiday package at the “Swiss Alpine...
Notes from a Mediators’ Retreat
Contact us “And catch the heart off guard and blow it open” (from Postscript by Seamus Heaney) Even mediators need a break. And that was before Covid-19. A ‘retreat’ has connotations of organised religion, but in Ireland there is a rich tradition of spirituality, of...