DURBAN FAMILY & DIVORCE MEDIATOR
Tracey-Leigh Wessels is a Durban Family & Divorce Mediator and Attorney. She specializes in the field of Family Law and Family & Divorce Mediation. Tracey-Leigh also has a specialist focus on Surrogacy and Reproductive Law and is among one of the few attorneys within the country who has been practicing in this field since 1999.
Qualifications
Tracey-Leigh graduated from the University of Kwazulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg) with an LLB degree in 1990. She achieved a Master’s Degree in Law (LLM -Thesis) in 1993. Nearly a decade later she returned to her studies and received a second Master’s Degree in the multi-disciplinary field of Family Law and Social Work, graduating cum laude.
Family Law Attorney & Mediator
Tracey-Leigh entered the field of Family Law in 1996. She obtained her accreditation as a Family & Divorce Mediator in 1996 while she was still a candidate attorney. The 1990s was a time when mediation was hardly even considered as an alternative to litigation. Despite the slow acceptance of mediation, Tracey-Leigh continued to upskill herself in the field, taking on Family and Divorce Mediation matters whenever the opportunity arose. She adapted her Practice to a predominantly mediation-orientated Practice in 2010.
Civil Mediations
In 2012, Tracey-Leigh attended a Civil and Commercial Mediator Training Programme run by the ADR Group (London). This opened up the opportunity for her to extend her mediation practice experience to a variety of civil mediation matters.
Current Areas of Practice
Tracey-Leigh has over the years obtained extensive mediation experience in a wide array of Divorce and Family-related disputes. Recently her experience in Family and Divorce Mediation was extended to include Elder Mediation (which she received formal training and qualification in) Marital & Couple Mediation and Mediation for Reproductive Law disputes arising between intended parents and donors and/or a surrogate mothers.
Mediation Boards
Locally, Tracey-Leigh is a member of both the Social Justice Network of Mediators and the Kwazulu-Natal Society of Mediators.
Tracey-Leigh is also a member of the Academy of Professional Family Mediators (APFM). She is a Board Member of the Academy of Professional Family Mediators chairing the Communication Portfolio and being responsible for APFM’s social media output. She is also a member of APFM’s Conference Committee, the Round Table of Presidents & Leaders as well as State & Local Committee and a past member of the Verified Training Committee. Tracey-Leigh was in July 2023 invited be part of APFM’s Executive Committee.
In addition, Tracey-Leigh has for the past seven years been a part of a group of Reflective Practice Mediators that meet monthly under the guidance of the renowned Reflective Practice Mediator, Michael Lang. She is currently completing a year long certificate course with Michael and the Reflective Practice Institute and has presented on reflective practice for mediator excellence with her group at a number of international workshops as well as locally with Social Justice.
Mediation Ethos
The focus of Tracey-Leigh’s Mediation practice remains primarily with the Family for Family and Divorce related disputes. Her aim is to help couples in conflict to reach workable solutions that will benefit the entire family. Tracey-Leigh believes that Mediation is the best way for families to attain peace in times of conflict. She sees Mediation as providing opportunity for meeting the needs of the Parties, and for protecting the best interests of the children who are often caught in the cross-fire of the parents’ conflict.
As a Mediator, Tracey-Leigh’s role is to manage the process of conflict resolution, to maximize party self-determination, and to help the Parties achieve peaceful resolution of their dispute.
