Funding support
How does Legal Aid work for family mediation?
If you are on a low income or receiving benefits such as Universal Credit, you may qualify for Legal Aid. This can help support mediation costs across England and Wales.
If you qualify for Legal Aid
- Your MIAM is fully funded.
- Your mediation sessions are fully funded.
- The first joint mediation session will be funded for the non-eligible party.
After the first joint session, the party who does not qualify for Legal Aid will need to pay privately for further sessions.
If neither party qualifies
If neither party meets the Legal Aid criteria, mediation is arranged privately.
- Each party pays for their own MIAM appointment.
- The cost of joint mediation sessions is usually shared between both parties.
If cost is a concern, we carry out a confidential Legal Aid assessment before any appointments are arranged, giving you the clarity to make an informed decision about your next steps.
Fees and pricing
Our Fees
We have a simple and cost-effective pricing structure, offering a more affordable alternative to family law solicitors.
Our aim is to stop legal costs from becoming a barrier to resolving family relationship issues and help you avoid unnecessary court proceedings where possible.
Clear pricing from the outset can make an already difficult situation feel far more manageable. The fees below are designed to help you understand your options early and move forward with confidence.
Pricing overview
Our pricing structure
Initial meeting
MIAM
(Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting)
From £135
per person, per session
Standard hours
Mediation Meetings
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
From £135
per person, per session
Out of hours
Mediation Meetings
Monday to Friday, 5:30pm to 8:30pm & weekends
£200 per person, per session
Financial matters
Preparation of Open Statement of Financial Information
Prepared where required as part of the mediation process.
£135 per hour
Children arrangements
Preparation of Parenting Plan
Prepared where parents want a clear written framework for future arrangements.
£135 per hour
Outcome summary
Preparation of Memorandum of Understanding
Prepared where suitable to record the outcome of discussions reached in mediation.
£135 per hour
Who pays for a MIAM? MIAMs are individual meetings, so each person pays for their own appointment. If mediation goes ahead afterwards, joint mediation session fees are usually shared between both parties unless agreed otherwise.
Why choose mediation
Why Family Mediation?
Costs with legal proceedings can escalate quickly. At the outset of the legal process, it is often unclear what issues may emerge or how long they will take to resolve.
Complex issues around child arrangements and division of financial assets can lead to substantially greater legal costs than first expected. Legal firms also charge for every stage of their work, including services that may seem relatively minor at the start.
Even services such as writing letters or providing legal advice can cause overall costs to rise quickly.
Many couples find that the divorce process has eaten into their finances and reduced the value of the assets to be divided, which can understandably leave lasting bitterness about the process as a whole.
With mediation, costs are clearer from the start and do not usually deviate from the initial price unless you choose to add further support.
