Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy have taken part in a remote Zoom mediation. This demonstrates how effective online mediation can be although it is not clear whether they have resolved their dispute. We have been providing mediation remotely throughout the pandemic and it is clearly now being used in even high profile cases where previously the parties would have met in person. Perhaps with footballers’ wives using remote mediation it will become fashionable.
The Daily Mail reports that Coleen has handed Rebekah an ‘olive branch’ and made her an offer to ‘agree to disagree’ as they head into mediation.
If accepted, settlement would see both parties make a substantial donation to charity.
They would also pay their own legal costs, known as a ‘drop hands’ settlement.
In the mediation world people are trying to guess which mediator has been instructed. The only clue is that it is a senior barrister, and it is fair to assume it is a defamation specialist! I think I can guess but would never reveal who I think it is! We may never know as a mediation is confidential.