How much does mediation cost?
The costs for mediation depends on what you need and your personal circumstances. For many people requiring mediation for family and children issues, Legal Aid is available. This means family mediation is totally FREE for you, and the other person in the relationship will have some of their fees paid too.
Even if you are not eligible for free mediation your ex-partner might be, in which case you will be provided with the initial meeting and the first mediation session for FREE. If you are a mediating about child arrangements a one off voucher can be applied for which will pay up to £500 towards the time in joint mediation meetings. Click here for more details.
Legal Aid – Free Mediation
Legal Aid is available to fund Family Mediation across England when one parent is in receipt of Universal Credit, Income support, Income based ESA/JSA they will automatically qualify. Parents on a low income may still be eligible subject to a means assessment.
When one parent gets Legal Aid the other parent will also gets the MIAM and the first mediation joint appointment free of charge.
What if I am not eligible for Legal Aid?
If you're not eligle for Legal Aid then there are still different options for you to minimise costs, see our standard costs below.
If you require the mediator to sign a Court form – C100 or Form A there is a £42 fee to provide this.
At your MIAM the mediator will explain the cost of any associated paperwork that you may require them to prepare following on from the successful conclusion of mediation.
How much does Mediation cost?
Before the MIAM the admin team will speak to you to find out if you may be eligible for Legal Aid, if you or your ex-partner is eligible then this meeting will be FREE for you, otherwise
MIAM £120 inc vat.
We offer have £500 Voucher scheme for Child Arrangement Mediation, which is shared between you towards the cost of your mediation fees.
Depending on the experience level of the Mediator and the complexity of your case the fees range from;
| Per person per 1.5hr mediation | ||||
| Consultant Mediator | £234 | |||
| Senior Practice Consultant Mediator | £255 |
All fees are per person and inclusive of VAT.
If you require the mediator to provide you with a written summary of proposals or an open financial statement these will be charged in addition to the fees above. The mediator can explain these fees to you at the MIAM or in the mediation.
If you are a mediating about child arrangements a one off voucher can be applied for which will pay up to £500 towards the time in joint mediation meetings. Click here for more details.
Voucher Scheme
The Family Mediation Council runs a Voucher Scheme for up to £500 of mediation costs for separated payments to sort out child arrangements / contact / residence issues.
This Government funded scheme is administered by the Family Mediation Council to registered Family Mediators. The Voucher is applicable to separated parents to sort out child arrangements / contact / residence issues. It is available to everyone and is not means tested. The aim of the voucher scheme is to reduce conflict and prevent unnecessary court applications.
Why Choose Children 1st Mediation?
Our team of Professionally qualified Family Mediators have over 80 years collective experience in Mediation, so you can be sure you’re getting the best service. We believe in you retaining the decision making between you.
All of our Family Mediators are qualified and registered which means they are required to work within the parameters of family law and will consider with you both how the family court may deal with things. The mediator will help you navigate your way through the process towards finding workable solution for you both that can then be made legally binding as part of your divorce or legal separation.
Over 90% of our mediation’s lead to an outcome that both people are positive about, which makes us one of the most successful mediation services in England. This means that both of you have found a settlement that you can both live with, which avoids the need for court intervention, which no one wants. All of our mediators are accredited with the Ministry of Justice to undertake Family Mediation in both financial and Children’s issues so you can be confident your in safe hands.
