Shuttle Mediation

Shuttle Mediation

In shuttle or indirect mediation, the mediator speaks separately with clients and moves between separate screens or separate rooms to facilitate discussions that would otherwise take place through direct communication.

The benefits

This type of mediation can feel safer and less confrontational when clients are not sharing the same room or screen, particularly where there is a difficult history, high conflict, raised emotions, or previous harm.

When clients feel unable to be together calmly, the separate setting can provide space for more careful thought and reflection about important family decisions.

Shuttle mediation also reduces the risk of being interrupted by the other party and allows each person time to reflect while the mediator is meeting separately with the other client.

Mediation remains flexible throughout the process, and clients can move from joint mediation (sharing the same room or screen) to shuttle mediation, or vice versa, depending on what is most appropriate.

The drawbacks

Slower progress

• Shuttle mediation will take longer than joint mediation so is likely to involve more sessions.
• Clients may need more time to consider issues and reach agreement.

Cost and length of session

• Shuttle sessions are booked for two hours rather than the standard 90 minutes for joint mediation.
• As a result, shuttle mediation sessions are charged at £276 per session, compared with £207 per session for joint mediation.

Time allocation with clients

• The mediator is impartial and will aim to divide the session time fairly between clients, although this may not always be possible. To ensure they fully understand the messages being conveyed, the mediator will spend time with each client listening to and clarifying their perspective and the points to be communicated to the other client. Clients can assist this process by keeping their points concise, though some clients may need more time to explain their perspective or to process the issues being discussed.

Frustration

• In shuttle mediation, clients can spend long periods of time waiting on their own staring at a blank screen and this can feel frustrating and stressful.

Risk of mistrust

• The mediator’s role is to represent the views of both clients and when they convey ideas or proposals from one client, they are not advocating for them nor trying to persuade the other client to agree them. They are the spokesperson for the client but not the representative.
• Mediators are trained to be neutral but the drawbacks of indirect communication – such as the loss of nuance, tone and body language – can be sometimes mistakenly perceived as the mediator taking sides.

Success rate

The success rate of shuttle mediation is lower than joint mediation, either in person or on a screen