Family Mediation
Separation is hard, and the practical decisions that come with it arrive at the worst possible time. Family mediation gives you a calm, structured space to make those decisions about children, finances and property, with the support of an impartial, professionally trained mediator.
Our practice is child-centred. Every arrangement you make in mediation is tested against what your children need.
What is family mediation?
Separation and divorce are traumatic events, and they demand a great many practical decisions at exactly the moment when emotions are at their most raw. Conversations that matter get derailed, not because anyone is being unreasonable but because it is very hard to make calm, rational decisions when your nervous system is wired for fight or flight.
Mediation gives you a safe space to have those discussions and make those decisions. Family mediators are trained in managing conflict and keeping discussions focused, and they understand how the law works in family matters involving children, finances and property. They cannot give legal advice or make decisions for you. Their role is to give you the support you need to make your own, legally informed decisions.
The focus is always on the future: practical arrangements and plans, and a solid base for your co-parenting relationship. Mediation is usually faster and cheaper than going to court.
Child-centred by design
- Child-inclusive mediation is offered wherever it is appropriate, so your children's views reach the table without them being put in the middle.
- Our family team includes mediators with Family Mediation Council child-inclusive status and a trained child consultant.
- We train other mediators in child development and the impact of family breakdown: see our CPD course.
Good to know
Family mediation can be funded. Legal aid covers mediation if you qualify financially, and if one party qualifies, the other attends their MIAM free. We will explain all the funding options, including the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme, at your first call.
30 mins
free initial phone call, no obligation
Same day
your C100 or Form A signed at your MIAM
if mediation is not the right route for you
2–5
meetings to reach a written agreement
two to three for a Parenting Plan; three to five for finances
Who is family mediation for?
Family mediation is for any family navigating separation or divorce (married or not, including parents who have never lived together), and at any stage where conflict arises or decisions need to be made. That includes:
- Parents who want to understand their child's views before making decisions
- Parents who need to agree child arrangements in a Parenting Plan
- Divorcing couples who need to separate their finances
- Parents and grandparents seeking contact with a child
- Families where a child has become estranged from a parent
- Situations where trust and communication have become an issue
Whatever the circumstances, the focus is on the future, and on supporting you to make the choices you need to make.
What to do next
Getting started costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Step one
Make one free call
It starts with a free, no-obligation 30-minute phone call. Find out how mediation works, what other options might suit your situation, and what funding is available, including a quick, straightforward legal aid assessment.
Step two
Attend your MIAM
A private, confidential meeting with your mediator, booked at a time and date to suit you. We will not contact the other party until after we have seen you, unless you ask us to.
Step three
You decide
Mediation is voluntary: it only goes ahead if it is suitable and you both choose it. If it is not right for your situation, your mediator signs the court form you need, the C100 for children or Form A for finances, at the end of the MIAM.
The MIAM
A MIAM (Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting) is a private, confidential conversation between you and your mediator. It is an opportunity to be heard, to consider your options, and to work out whether mediation is right for your situation.
At the MIAM your mediator will:
- Explain what mediation is, what it does and how much it would cost
- Discuss funding, including legal aid eligibility and the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme
- Listen to any particular concerns or needs we should take into account
There is no pressure to continue into mediation, which is always a voluntary process. A MIAM is normally required by law before making a court application in a family matter, so it is the right starting point even if you expect to end up in court.
Is mediation right for your situation?
Mediation works best when both of you can take part freely and on an equal footing, and that is something we assess with you individually at the MIAM. There is no fixed checklist, and every situation is different.
A history of domestic abuse does not automatically make mediation unsuitable. Equally, a case can be unsuitable without one. What matters is whether you can both participate safely and equally, and your mediator will explore that with you, in confidence.
If mediation is not right for your situation, we will help you explore the other options available to you.
Putting children first
For children, the most damaging part of parental separation is not the separation itself but the conflict around it. Children do better when arrangements feel stable and predictable, when parental conflict is absent, and when they keep positive relationships with both parents.
Mediation is built around that. It treats you as a parenting team rather than opposing sides, shifts the focus from past grievances to future plans, and models to your children that even major disagreements can be handled with respect and calm communication.
Because you design the arrangements yourselves, they can be as flexible and nuanced as your children's needs. Unlike a court order, which is fixed at a single point in time, they can adapt as your circumstances change. Along the way, mediation builds the communication skills and shared understanding you will rely on long after the formal process ends.
Building a co-parenting relationship in the aftermath of a relationship breakdown can feel daunting. Mediation can succeed even in high-conflict situations, and the benefits to you and your children far outweigh the current challenges. The decisions stay in your hands: you are the experts on your children, and mediation keeps you on a level playing field, building a future you actually believe in rather than one decided for you in a courtroom.
Child-inclusive mediation
Children are affected by family breakdown but are rarely heard in the process. Child-inclusive mediation gives them a voice.
A trained mediator meets with the child or children separately, in an age-appropriate way, to understand their experience and what matters to them. Their views are fed back into the mediation process. In our experience, when children feel their needs are acknowledged, they respond better to change.
This is not therapy, and it is not an assessment. It is a way of making sure children are not invisible in decisions that shape their lives.
Marilyn Webster, who leads our family practice, specialises in child-inclusive mediation and has trained extensively in this area.
What happens in mediation
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1
You both sign an agreement to mediate
Joint meetings only begin once you have both decided mediation is right for you. The agreement to mediate sets out what is expected of everyone, including the mediator, with the focus on respectful communication and giving everyone a chance to be heard.
-
2
The mediator keeps things calm and focused
Meetings can be online or in person. Your mediator does not take sides or make decisions for you; they guide you through the stages of the process, from agreeing an agenda to writing up your agreement, at a pace that works for both of you.
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3
You work through what matters
Most families need more than one meeting: a Parenting Plan typically takes two to three, and financial matters three to five. For finances, you each complete financial disclosure and the mediator produces an Open Statement of Financial Information, which can be used in court.
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4
You get it in writing
Your agreement is written up as a Memorandum of Understanding. It is not legally binding on its own, but a solicitor can turn it into a consent order, giving it the same force as a decision made in court.
It's not about winning a case; it's about winning a future where your children feel secure and loved by both parents in two different homes.
You stay in control
Nothing is agreed unless you both agree it. Your mediator will never take sides or impose a decision, and they will not let you reach an agreement that presents a risk to anyone.
Cost and funding
Family mediation is cheaper than solicitor-led negotiation or court proceedings, and there is help with the cost.
Legal aid is available for family mediation if you qualify financially. Being assessed is straightforward: you complete a form, send some evidence, and you should get an answer quickly. If one party is eligible for legal aid, the other can attend their MIAM for free.
The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme may also contribute towards mediation about child arrangements. Your mediator will discuss what you are eligible for.
Subsidised places are available through Prime Resolution. We are a not-for-profit and keep fees as low as we can.
Not sure where to start?
Every family is different. Book a free call and we will help you work out the right next step for your situation, whether that is mediation or something else.
Online or in person
We mediate online by secure video link, and in person at venues across the UK. Most clients find online mediation works just as well, and it is easier to fit around work and childcare.
We can discuss what works best for your situation.
What families say
I'd just like to say that I thought the mediation session went very well. Sophie explained everything in an easy to understand way and was very informative of the processes involved and listened to everything that I had to say. So Thankyou!
Alan
I would highly recommend this mediator to anyone going through what can be an extremely difficult and emotional time. From the very beginning, I felt listened to, respected and treated with genuine understanding. The mediator was extremely professional, compassionate and approachable, and gave me the time and space to explain my circumstances openly and honestly without ever making me feel judged.
Marc
Good experience, lots of information given and my questions were answered.
Claire
Book a free initial consultation
The first step is a free, no-obligation 30-minute phone call with one of our family team. Find out how mediation works, what it costs, and whether it is right for your situation.