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When discussions break down, one method of resolving differences without going to court is to seek advice from an independent third party. Lauren Harris spoke to experts to find out more
When planning for the future ends with multiple parties at loggerheads, no one is a winner and the farm business can suffer as a result.
That's why some families are turning to professional mediators to help iron out their differences.
A non-adversarial method for resolving disputes quickly, mediation is well-suited to agricultural settlements and is growing in popularity.
Mediation was introduced to the UK in 1989, but has recently become better known through its widespread use in family courts.
A mediator is a independent person who does not decide the matter for the parties, as a judge or arbitrator would, but makes suggestions or challenges assumptions to ensure settlements, mutually satisfactory and workable.
In the rural sphere, mediator David Hooper from Brown & Co recommends seeking advice from the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) to find a mediator. Alternatively, your solicitor can refer you. The cost of land agent mediation is around £2,000 plus VAT a day, with the cost shared between the parties involved.
Mr Hooper decided to become a mediator after experiencing an acrimonious clash between two brothers that had run up tens of thousands of pounds in costs over 20 years and resulted in the sale of their farm.
"I realised there had to be a better way of dealing with this sort of dispute, which is very common in the farming world," Mr Hooper says....