Our Property Particulars Report offers a faster route to settlement in family law, whether clients are going through the court system, or using dispute resolution methods such as mediation, private FDR or arbitration. To demonstrate the capabilities of our report in mediation, here is a case study of how we were able to support a separating couple wanting to avoid going to court. 

The Galleon team were contacted by a family mediator who needed property expertise in a challenging mediation case. They were working with clients who were separating and sharing equal custody of their two children and therefore needed to find two new family homes of similar requirements. With little experience of the property market in London, and both parties putting forward differing amounts of what they thought would be a suitable budget to be re-housed, the mediator was at a loss of what to do next. After a discussion with the mediator, we agreed that a joint Property Particulars Report would be the correct strategy to provide an impartial and fair-for-all analysis. 

Working closely with the mediator, we agreed a detailed brief for the specifications of the new properties. To minimise disruption for the children, we agreed a search area of within a 3-mile radius of the children’s school in Sydenham. Both parties needed a three-bedroom house which required no significant renovation and would be ready to move straight into. 

Using this brief, our team began the market search. Over a five-day period, we engaged with all 38 estate agents operating within the search area. Our extensive search returned 29 suitable properties that matched the clients’ specifications. From these results, we were able to ascertain an average price per square foot for properties of their requirements in the area.

With the price review complete, we moved on to doing a full overview of the neighbourhoods; up and coming areas, demographics, shops, restaurants, amenities, etc.  As independent experts in real estate, our review provided clarity on the market conditions from all aspects, delivering evidence of the cost of rehousing both parties which would streamline the decision-making process for the legal team. 

Together, the results of our complete market search combined with our price analysis and neighbourhood overview led us to present our market-led recommendation for a suitable budget for the parties to be re-housed. Within the report, we also shared a shortlist of the top seven properties matching the requirements stated in the brief, to back up the findings.

Our impartial review, as experienced buying agents was a credible source for the legal team. During the mediation process, our recommendation was presented to both parties and an agreement was reached. Both parties felt the settlement was fair, and the outcome was reached far quicker than if they had not used the report. The legal team were relieved of the hassle of producing property particulars, and the parties were saved the stress, upset and costs of a lengthy battle using the court system. 

This case highlights the benefits of using our Property Particulars report in dispute resolution. If you have a case that needs an impartial analysis of the property market in the form of a joint report, please contact the team and we can put together a strategy to support you. 

contact@galleonpropertysearch.com or call 07543253765