Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Adoption definition

What does Adoption mean? Adoption is the court process by which an adult or couple becomes a child’s legal parent(s), permanently replacing the legal status of the birth parent(s). When an adoption order is made, parental responsibility (England & Wales and Northern Ireland) or parental responsibilities and rights (Scotland) transfers in full to the adopter(s); the birth parents’ legal rights and duties are extinguished, subject to any contact the court may authorise. The child is treated in law as the child of the adopter(s) for all purposes, including name, birth registration and inheritance. The law is statutory in each jurisdiction (for example, the...

Project mediation in construction: early dispute avoidance, suitability, benefits and contractual drafting

Published by a LexisNexis Construction expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note explores project mediation, explaining what it involves, its advantages, and the situations in which it is suitable.

What is project mediation?

It is highly likely that, during a construction project, a disagreement will surface, or at least the possibility of one will loom. Project mediation (also known as contracted mediation) offers a way to control such Disputes, and the risk of them, by pinpointing and resolving issues before they crystallise into full-blown conflicts, particularly around payment and delay. Parties may look to conventional mediation as an alternative to adjudication, arbitration or litigation, all of which can be expensive and/or time-consuming. Yet mediation is frequently only pursued once a concern has already developed into a dispute, ie when time and money are already being lost and the project is being jeopardised. By then, ill-feeling tends to exist between the parties, they are entrenched in opposing positions on the matter, and lines of communication have deteriorated or broken down entirely. In that setting, the prospects of mediation delivering any substantial benefit can be limited...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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