Civil Justice Minister David Lammy will announce the launch of the National Mediation Helpline (NMH) today.
The helpline has been established to give consumers advice on personal injury claims, small claims and business and computer disputes. It has been designed to help reduce the number of civil dispute cases reaching the courts.
The helpline service claims to be able to arrange mediation appointments with an accredited independent mediator so disputes quickly and easily.
Lammy said: "Mediation provides an alternative way of resolving disputes which can be simpler, cheaper, quicker and less stressful that going to court.
“It can also get results that you would not get by going to court, such as an explanation or an apology, which often do a great deal to make settlements more acceptable to aggrieved parties.”
