Lesley is an experienced family mediator with a strong focus on financial settlement, supporting clients to reach clear, workable and sustainable agreements. She has particular expertise in complex financial cases, including high net worth matters and financial issues for unmarried couples, and brings a confident, structured approach to cases involving detailed disclosure and analysis.
With a genuine love of numbers, Lesley enjoys working with financial information and helping clients make sense of their options. She is known for her ability to explain complex issues clearly, keep discussions focused, and support clients to move from uncertainty to practical, forward-looking solutions without the stress and cost of court proceedings.
Lesley is trained in integrated mediation approaches and is experienced in working alongside specialist professionals, such as independent financial advisers, pension experts and other relevant specialists, where this helps to inform discussions and support better decision-making. She values the way integrated working can bring a breadth of clarity, realism and reassurance to complex cases.
She is a strong advocate for inclusion and diversity and takes a client-centred approach to mediation, with particular awareness of neurodiversity. Lesley is attentive to individual communication needs and adapts the mediation process where appropriate, helping clients engage fully and participate effectively in discussions and decision-making.
Lesley offers online family mediation across the UK, which works especially well for financial cases where documents can be shared easily and clients often feel more comfortable engaging from their own surroundings.
Alongside her mediation practice, Lesley is a Professional Practice Consultant (PPC), supporting family mediators at varying stages of experience with reflective practice, case discussion and professional development. She is also a trainer on Family Mediation Foundation courses, supporting the next generation of mediators as they develop core skills, ethical and client-centred practice.
Lesley’s work is underpinned by a strong commitment to clarity and client empowerment, helping couples find solutions that work for their family and their financial future.
Some of the clients that Lesley has helped during lockdown have said:
“Thank you Lesley. Personally I found you to be clear, responsive, impartial, and I kept faith that you would help guide us through, and you did. Thank you.”
“Lesley was a very helpful and patient mediator who made a difficult process much easier, and I am pleased with the results that she helped us achieved.” Ms O
“Overall I was really happy with the whole process during this really difficult period in my life. I found the mediation sessions really helpful and we managed to get an agreement that suited us both. The online session as fine, getting us to that final agreement.” Ms M
“Thank you very much for all your help. You helped to guide us through a very difficult process in a calm and informative manner.” Ms D
“I have attended 5 mediation sessions, four of them in person and the fifth by video conference owing to coronavirus restrictions/precautions. As I suspect with many who attend mediation sessions, it was not something I envisaged participating in. It was not an experience I found particularly comfortable. nd ensure that our daughter’s needs have remained our primary focus. The mediation sessions have taken place over a 5-month duration, which to my mind has been helpful in allowing time to reflect, to compromise and reach agreement. It has also enabled legal advice to be sought where needed. Whilst circumstances have been challenging, there has been no unnecessary pressure or deadlines resulting from the mediation process. I know you provided quite an amount of relevant literature and sources of useful information at our first meeting, which I found useful. During the sessions we were able to explore various options, some at your suggestion, in order to conclude an agreement.” Mr Q
“Thank you for all your help. You have been brilliant.” Mr A
“I am currently acting for a client who, together with his wife, has been in mediation with Lesley Dudleston, a Mediator with Family Matters, discussing financial issues. They have arrived at proposals acceptable to both of them and I have received the documentation prepared by Lesley setting out the background and the proposals together with a separate schedule of financial information. Both documents are excellent, clear and concise, providing all the necessary information in straightforward and clear terms. They are very well drafted indeed. Lesley has, I believe, assisted the client and his wife greatly, as well as assisting us in advising the client on them.” A Solicitor, South Yorkshire
Lesley is accredited by the Family Mediation Council and is a member of Resolution
