Mediation
- Time Weeks
- Typical cost £500–£2,500
- Help Voucher + Legal Aid
- Who decides You both
- Privacy Confidential
FMC-accredited family mediation across England & Wales
Separating? You don’t have to fight it out in court.
Family mediation gets child arrangements and finances sorted properly — cheaper than solicitors, quicker than court, and on terms you actually agree to. We’ll get you with an FMC-accredited mediator, usually within 24 hours.
No obligation. Confidential. We will come back to you on the same working day.
Family Mediation Council accreditedMinistry of Justice voucher supportLegal Aid eligibility checkedOnline & in-person MIAMsConfidential and impartial
You’re not the first person to land on this page at 11 PM. You’re definitely not alone, either.
A calmer first step
Start with the option that keeps control in your hands.
Most people who find us are trying to manage separation without making it worse, avoid another solicitor bill, or deal with a court requirement to consider mediation first.
Family mediation is recognised in law as a faster, calmer and far less expensive way to settle where children live, how money divides up, what happens to the house, and what comes next — without handing the decisions to a stranger in a courtroom.
How does it actually work?
What is family mediation?
A structured conversation with a referee.
The referee is a trained, FMC-accredited mediator. They don’t take sides, make decisions, or act as anyone’s solicitor. Their job is to keep both of you talking productively until you’ve worked out what to do about the children, money, house and anything else that needs sorting.
Can mediation work for you?
Mediation vs court vs going it alone
What actually changes?
Court
- Time 6–24 months
- Typical cost £15k–£40k+
- Help None
- Who decides A judge
- Privacy Public record possible
Going it alone
- Time Months back-and-forth
- Typical cost £5k–£20k
- Help Limited
- Who decides Lawyers negotiate
- Privacy Adversarial
What we help families sort out
Four routes into a calmer agreement.
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Child arrangements
Where the children live, who they spend time with, holidays, school decisions, handovers and moving house.
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Financial matters
The house, pensions, savings, debts and maintenance. We help create a Memorandum of Understanding.
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MIAMs
Your legally required first step before most family court applications, usually bookable within 48 hours.
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Online & shuttle mediation
Zoom, Teams or shuttle mediation where the mediator moves between rooms. Useful when things are still raw.
Impartial, practical, properly accredited
What a mediator does — and very much doesn’t do.
A family mediator moves a stuck conversation forward. They are not your therapist, solicitor, or judge. They keep the meeting on track, make sure both people get airtime, explain legal information, suggest options and write up what you agree.
What we do
- ✓ Stay impartial and accredited
- ✓ Help you reach your own agreement
- ✓ Explain how the law works
- ✓ Keep everything confidential
- ✓ Issue your MIAM certificate
- ✓ Suggest options you may have missed
What we don’t do
- ✕ Take sides
- ✕ Make decisions for you
- ✕ Replace your solicitor
- ✕ Share anything without consent
- ✕ Force you to mediate
- ✕ Try to fix the relationship
What you actually get out of mediation
Less delay. Less cost. Less damage.
Faster decisions
Most mediated cases move through a few focused sessions. Court can take months — and complex cases can stretch much longer.
Lower cost
Mediation typically costs a fraction of court, and child arrangement cases may receive up to £500 through the voucher scheme.
Better co-parenting
You may have to deal with this person for years. Mediation keeps lines open; court often scorches them.
No surprises
How it actually works, start to finish.
You can stop at any stage. There’s no obligation to continue if it isn’t right for you.
1
Get in touch — Day 1
Call, fill in the form or book online. We’ll ask a few questions, match the mediator and spot voucher or Legal Aid eligibility.
2
Your MIAM — within 48 hours
A confidential one-to-one with your mediator, about 45–60 minutes, in person or online. You receive your FM1 certificate if needed.
3
Joint sessions — usually 2–6 weeks
If both of you go ahead, most cases need 2–4 sessions of around 90 minutes each, in person, online or shuttle.
4
Your written agreement
Children? You get a Parenting Plan. Money? You get a Memorandum of Understanding your solicitor can turn into a consent order.
Straight-up costs
Let’s talk money.
A MIAM typically costs £100–£150 plus VAT per person. Joint sessions are charged hourly, and most cases run two to four sessions. The £500 voucher and Legal Aid can reduce or cover costs where eligible.
MIAM£100–£150 + VAT
Typical mediation£500–£2,500
VoucherUp to £500
Legal AidMay cover full cost
Why families pick us
Not a high-street solicitor. A proper mediation route.
Genuinely accredited
Every mediator follows the FMC Code of Practice.
Fast appointments
MIAMs usually within 48 hours, with urgent slots available.
National coverage
In person in major cities or fully online across England and Wales.
Voucher ready
We apply for the £500 voucher on your behalf.
Clear pricing
Fees agreed in writing before you commit.
Social proof
What families say after the first call.
★★★★★
“Clear, calm and practical. I finally understood my options without feeling pushed.”
Child arrangements client★★★★★
“We were booked in quickly and the mediator kept both of us focused on the children.”
Online MIAM client★★★★★
“The cost was explained before we started, and the voucher was handled for us.”
Financial mediation client
FAQ
Questions everyone asks.
Do we have to do mediation, or is it optional?
You have to consider it — meaning attend a MIAM — before applying to the family court for most child or financial orders. That's been the law since the Children and Families Act 2014. The mediation itself is voluntary. If, after the MIAM, you or the mediator decide it isn't suitable, you don't have to continue. We'll issue your FM1 certificate either way, so you can apply to court if needed.
What if my ex won’t agree to come?
We invite them to their own MIAM. If they ignore it, decline, or just go quiet, that isn't the end of the road — your mediator can still issue your certificate, and you can press on toward court if you need to. In fairness, most judges these days take a dim view of a flat refusal to even consider mediation when there's no good reason for it. It rarely helps the party resisting.
Just how quickly can you help me?
ASAP. Most MIAMs are scheduled within 24-48 hours of contacting us. And if you have court and are in a rush, we reserve same-day urgent time slots for situations like that. These usually take place in joint sessions the following week.
Is what we say in mediation actually private?
Yes — fully. Mediation is confidential and runs on a "without prejudice" basis, which means anything either of you says inside the room can't be wheeled out against you in court if mediation breaks down later. There are two exceptions: a real safeguarding worry (a child at risk of harm, for example), or evidence of money laundering. Both are genuinely rare, and if either ever came up, your mediator would tell you on the spot rather than going behind your back.
Will the agreement be legally binding?
Not automatically — but easily made so. For financial agreements, your solicitor takes the Memorandum of Understanding and applies for a consent order, which is sealed by the court and fully enforceable. We'll explain the next step and signpost you when you get there. For children, the Parenting Plan is usually sufficient on its own.
Can a mediator give us legal advice?
No, and you wouldn't want them to. Mediators are impartial — meaning they can give you legal information (what courts typically do, what the law generally says), but not personal legal advice for either side. For that, each of you talks to your own solicitor. Most people use mediation alongside a solicitor, not instead of one.
What does it cost in total?
Most fully mediated cases fall between £500 and £2,500 per person, before any voucher or Legal Aid is applied. Compare that to a contested case in court, which routinely costs each side £15,000–£40,000+. We'll give you a clear estimate before you book a session — no surprises.
What if there has been abuse in the relationship?
Mediation isn't suitable for every situation. If there's a history of domestic abuse, coercive control, or significant power imbalance, your mediator will identify that in the MIAM, and you'll be exempt from the mediation requirement — meaning you can go straight to court. We treat this part of the assessment seriously and confidentially.
You don’t have to figure this out alone.
A free 15-minute chat tells you whether mediation fits your situation, what it may cost, and what your next step looks like. No pressure. No solicitor’s clock running.