Civil Mediation

Civil mediation is a voluntary and confidential method for resolving disputes outside of court. A neutral mediator facilitates communication the parties, helps clarify issues, and encourages the exploration of potential solutions, without making decisions or taking sides. In contrast to litigation, is a collaborative process that is typically faster, affordable, and allows the parties to maintain control the outcome. It can address various civil disputes—including neighbour conflicts, property disagreements, consumer issues, and contractual disputes—often in more adaptable and practical agreements that help maintain relationships.

Professional Negligence

Professional negligence disputes arise when a professional (such as a lawyer, accountant, architect, surveyor, doctor, or financial adviser) is alleged to have failed to meet the standard of care expected in their field, causing financial loss, reputational damage, or harm to a client.

Common areas:

Legal services – errors in drafting contracts, wills, or litigation strategy.
Financial advice – negligent investment recommendations or tax planning mistakes.
Medical services – misdiagnosis or treatment errors (often overlapping with personal injury).
Construction/architecture – design flaws, survey errors, or poor project oversight.
Accountancy/audit – incorrect financial reporting or tax mismanagement.

Personal Injury

Personal Injury disputes are conflicts that arise when someone suffers harm (physical or psychological) due to another party’s negligence or wrongful act, and there is disagreement about liability or compensation. These disputes often involve accidents at work, road traffic collisions, medical negligence, or public liability claims.

Common areas:

Road traffic accidents – disputes between drivers, passengers, or insurers.
Workplace accidents – claims against employers for unsafe conditions or lack of training.
Medical negligence – disputes over harm caused by healthcare providers.
Public liability – injuries in public spaces (e.g., slips, trips, or defective premises).
Psychological injury – claims for stress, trauma, or emotional harm.

Land or Property Disputes

Land or Property disputes are conflicts over ownership, boundaries, rights of use, or obligations relating to land and buildings. These disputes can arise between neighbours, co‑owners, landlords and tenants, or even between developers and local authorities.

These include:

Ownership conflicts: Disagreements over who legally owns or has rights to a piece of land or property.
Boundary disputes: Arguments about where property lines lie, often involving fences, hedges, or walls.
Rights of way and easements: Disputes over access paths, shared driveways, or utility rights.
Development and planning: Conflicts between developers and neighbours/local councils over building projects.
Leasehold/freehold issues: Disputes about service charges, ground rent, or obligations under property agreements.
Inheritance disputes: Conflicts over property passed down through wills or intestacy.

Defamation

Defamation cases often involve reputational harm, emotional distress, and complex legal issues (balancing free speech with protection of reputation)

There are two areas, libel (written defamation), slander (spoken defamation), online/social media posts, press publications, workplace reputational disputes. These include:

Media publications – newspapers, blogs, or online platforms accused of publishing false statements.
Social media posts – reputational harm caused by viral or defamatory content.
Workplace disputes – allegations of misconduct or false rumours damaging professional standing.

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy disputes are conflicts that arise during or after bankruptcy proceedings, usually involving creditors, debtors, trustees, or other stakeholders. These disputes often concern how assets are valued, distributed, or managed, and they can be highly complex because they mix financial, legal, and sometimes personal issues. They can include:

Creditor claims – disputes over whether debts are valid or how much is owed.
Asset distribution – disagreements about how assets should be divided among creditors.
Trustee conduct – challenges to how bankruptcy trustees manage or liquidate assets.
Fraudulent transfers – disputes over whether assets were improperly moved before bankruptcy.
Secured vs. unsecured creditors – conflicts about priority of repayment.
Business continuation – disagreements about whether a bankrupt business should be wound up or restructured

Wills and Probate Disputes

Wills and Probate disputes are conflicts that arise after someone’s death, usually concerning the validity of a will, the distribution of assets, or the administration of the estate. These disputes can be highly emotional because they often involve family members, inheritance expectations, and questions of fairness.

Examples of this are:

Validity of the will – challenges to whether the will was properly executed, or whether the deceased had capacity or was unduly influenced.
Interpretation of terms – disagreements about ambiguous wording in the will.
Inheritance disputes – conflicts between beneficiaries over entitlements.
Executor disputes – challenges to how executors administer the estate, including delays or alleged mismanagement.
Claims under the Inheritance Act – disputes where dependants argue they have not been adequately provided for.
Intestacy disputes – disagreements when someone dies without a will, and statutory rules apply.

Trust Disputes

Trust disputes are conflicts that arise over the creation, administration, or distribution of assets held in a trust. These disputes often involve beneficiaries, trustees, and sometimes third parties, and they can be highly complex because they mix legal obligations with family or financial tensions.

Common areas:

Validity of the trust – challenges to whether the trust was properly created.
Trustee conduct – allegations of mismanagement, breach of fiduciary duty, or conflicts of interest.
Distribution of assets – disputes over who receives what, and when.
Interpretation of terms – disagreements about ambiguous clauses in the trust deed.
Beneficiary rights – conflicts between beneficiaries about entitlements or access to information.
Removal or replacement of trustees – disputes over whether trustees should continue in their role.

Charities Disputes

Charities disputes are conflicts that arise within or around charitable organisations, often involving governance, funding, use of assets, or compliance with charity law.

They include:

Governance issues: Disagreements between trustees, directors, or members about how the charity is run.
Funding and donations: Conflicts over how funds are allocated, spent, or reported.
Employment disputes: Issues between charities and their staff or volunteers.
Beneficiary concerns: Complaints from service users about fairness, access, or quality of services.
Property and assets: Disputes over ownership, leasing, or use of charity property.
Regulatory compliance: Conflicts involving the Charity Commission or other regulators about reporting, safeguarding, or lawful operation.

Adult Guardianship Disputes

These disputes typically arise when family members, carers, or institutions disagree about who should make decisions for an adult who lacks capacity to manage their own affairs.

Financial management – disputes over control of bank accounts, property, or investments.
Healthcare decisions – disagreements about medical treatment, care homes, or end‑of‑life care.
Living arrangements – conflicts over where the adult should live (independently, with family, or in residential care).
Power of attorney disputes – challenges to the validity or use of lasting powers of attorney.
Family disagreements – siblings or relatives disputing who should take responsibility.

Landlord and Tenant Disputes

Landlord and Tenant disputes are conflicts that arise between property owners and tenants over the terms, performance, or enforcement of tenancy agreements. These disputes are common in both residential and commercial property contexts and often involve issues of rent, repairs, eviction, or rights of occupation.

Common areas:

Rent arrears – disputes over unpaid or late rent.
Repairs and maintenance – disagreements about who is responsible for fixing property issues.
Deposit disputes – conflicts over deductions or return of security deposits.
Eviction notices – challenges to Section 21 (no‑fault) or Section 8 (fault‑based) notices.
Service charges – disputes in leasehold or commercial tenancies about shared costs.
Property damage – disagreements over liability for damage caused during tenancy.

Neighbour Disputes

Neighbour disputes are conflicts between individuals living in close proximity, often arising from issues of property boundaries, noise, shared access, or lifestyle differences. These disputes can escalate quickly because they affect daily life and personal comfort

Common areas:

Noise complaints – loud music, barking dogs, or late‑night disturbances.
Boundary disputes – disagreements over fences, hedges, or land ownership.
Shared access – conflicts over driveways, pathways, or communal areas.
Lifestyle clashes – issues like parking, pets, or waste disposal.

Money Disputes

Money disputes are conflicts that arise when one party claims another owes them money, or when there is disagreement about payments, debts, or financial obligations. These disputes are among the most common civil claims and can range from small sums between individuals to large contractual disagreements between businesses.

Common areas:

Unpaid invoices – businesses or contractors not receiving payment for goods or services.
Loan repayments – disputes over personal or commercial loans.
Consumer claims – customers seeking refunds or compensation for faulty goods/services.
Deposit disputes – disagreements about return of deposits (e.g., rental or service deposits).
Contractual payments – conflicts over agreed sums in contracts.