What Family Mediation Costs
Work out what family mediation costs after the £500 Ministry of Justice voucher. MIAM, joint sessions and your share, on your own figures. Call 03300 100 175.
The short answer
Family mediation is charged per person per session, with the MIAM billed separately. Where the case involves arrangements for children, the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme contributes up to £500 per case toward the joint sessions only. It is shared between you rather than one voucher each. It does not pay for the MIAM, and where the mediation costs more than the voucher you pay the balance.
What you will actually pay
Change any figure to match what you have been quoted. Nothing is sent anywhere and nothing is stored.
A MIAM is charged as a single meeting, generally between £100 and £150.
Each of you attends separately. Sometimes only one person needs one, to obtain the court form.
Most child arrangements are worked through in a small number of sessions. Your mediator will estimate after the MIAM.
Fees range from £120 to £180 per person per 90-minute session.
The voucher is only available where the case involves children. A case about finances alone does not qualify.
This is arithmetic on the figures you entered, not a quote. Fees vary by mediator and by case, the voucher is subject to the scheme's own eligibility rules at the time you apply, and if either of you qualifies for legal aid for mediation that generally provides more help than the voucher, and the two are not combined. Confirm the actual figures at your MIAM.
What happens, and when
Attend a MIAM
Individual and confidential. The voucher does not cover this meeting, so it is paid for separately.
The mediator registers the case
Your mediator applies for the voucher on your behalf if the case qualifies. You do not apply yourself.
Joint sessions begin
The voucher is set against the cost of these, up to £500 for the case as a whole.
You pay the balance
Where the mediation costs more than the voucher covers, the remainder is split between you as agreed.
What the voucher does and does not cover
| Covered | Not covered | |
|---|---|---|
| The MIAM | No | Charged separately, before the voucher applies |
| Joint sessions about children | Yes, up to £500 for the case | Anything above £500 |
| Sessions about finances only | No | Charged normally |
| A case with both | The child element | The financial sessions |
| How many vouchers | One per family, used once | Not one each |
Questions about mediation costs
Is the voucher means tested?
No. The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme is not assessed against your income or savings. What decides eligibility is whether the case involves arrangements for children.
Do we each get £500?
No. It is up to £500 per case, shared between you, and it is used once. A separating couple share one voucher rather than receiving one each.
What if mediation costs more than £500?
You pay the balance. The voucher is a contribution rather than a full payment, and how the remainder is split between you is something you can agree in the first session.
Can we use the voucher and legal aid together?
No. If either of you qualifies for legal aid for mediation, that generally provides more help than the voucher, and the two are not combined. Ask about legal aid first.
Does the voucher pay for the MIAM?
No. It applies to the joint sessions that follow, not to the MIAM itself, which is charged as a single meeting.
Our case involves children and finances. What happens?
The voucher applies to the child element and the financial sessions are charged normally. The calculator above reflects that: it sets the voucher against the joint sessions only.
Get a real figure for your case
A MIAM is a single confidential meeting on your own, and it is where the actual cost of your case is confirmed.