ONLINE MIAMS
CLICK HERE TO DISCOVER HOW TO GET UP TO £500 PER COUPLE TOWARDS COSTS REGARDLESS OF INCOME
The family mediation voucher scheme is a time-limited government scheme, designed to support participants who may be able to resolve their family law disputes outside of court.
To support this, a financial contribution of up to £500 towards the costs of mediation will be provided, if eligible.
The vouchers are available where children are considered as part of the mediation process and can only be applied for once you have both attended a mediation information and assessment meeting.
THERE ARE NO FINANCIAL STIPULATIONS FOR THIS SCHEME.
Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/family-mediation-voucher-scheme. There is no guarantee that funds will be available and will need to be checked when you are ready to proceed after your initial mediation information and assessment meetings.
At present, funds are still available.
The first step towards starting family mediation is to undertake a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting. This takes place on your own, online, and takes up to an hour. The MIAM process is an opportunity for the mediator to assess whether mediation is suitable and for you to assess whether it is something that you wish to do.
WE DO NOT OFFER LEGAL AID FOR FAMILY MEDIATION. CLICK HERE IF YOU THINK THIS IS APPLICABLE
WE DO NOT OFFER LEGAL AID.
If you think this is applicable, or you think your ex-partner may qualify for legal aid, please have a look at the Family Mediation Council to source an alternative provider. If you or the other participant potentially qualify for legal aid, then both of you will receive your initial assessment meetings funded by the Legal Aid Agency, as well as your initial joint session.
If you attend a mediation information and assessment meeting with us and the other person is willing to attend a mediation information and assessment meeting and potentially qualifies for legal aid, you will need to attend a further assessment meeting with the legal aid provider.
The Family Mediation Council contains a wealth of information about family mediation.
Legal aid takes into account capital as well as income so you will need to know the value of any property, together with your outstanding mortgage, before you can be assessed for legal aid.
Generally speaking, if you are on certain benefits, i.e. Universal Credit, and your capital limits are below the threshhold, then chances are you will qualify for legal aid.
If you wish to check your eligibility, please go to: Legal Aid Agency
DO YOU NEED A MIAM?
PEOPLE IN ENGLAND AND WALES ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND A MEDIATION INFORMATION AND ASSESSMENT MEETING (A MIAM) BEFORE MAKING A COURT APPLICATION, UNLESS AN EXEMPTION APPLIES.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A MIAM?
- to provide a real opportunity to discover better and more cost-effective ways of dealing with your matter without resorting to Court.
- to consider whether family mediation may provide you with the best way forward
This means that if you wish to apply to the Court for:
- private law proceedings relating to children; or
- a financial remedy following separation or divorce
YOU WILL NEED TO ATTEND A MIAM WITH A FAMILY MEDIATION COUNCIL ACCREDITED MEDIATOR.
The Courts will also expect the other person to attend a meeting if asked to do so. If the other person refuses and you have to make the application to court, you may find there is a delay if the court then decides that the other person has to attend their own MIAM.
If, after attending a MIAM, you still wish to proceed to court, your mediator will provide a certificate to confirm that you have attended a meeting. This certificate will need to accompany your application to court.
Only mediators that are accredited by the Family Mediation Council can issue court certificates. An Accredited Family Mediator is known as an “FMCA”.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FAMILY MEDIATION COUNCIL BY CLICKING THE BUTTON BELOW
MIAM PROCESS WITH US
A MIAM TAKES UP TO AN HOUR AND CONVENIENTLY TAKES PLACE VIA ZOOM.
- If you haven’t used Zoom previously, the procedure is very straightforward. A link will be forwarded to you prior to your meeting so that you can check that all is working as it should be.
- An online MIAM enables you to hold the meeting in the comfort of your own home. This is confidential, however, so will be treated like an in-person meeting, taking place with you alone.
- During your meeting, the mediator will listen to what you are hoping to achieve and then go through all available routes for helping you to resolve your matters.
- It is important that you are aware of all of the different ways forward so that, once the other person has attended their own MIAM, you can both agree on the most comfortable way to proceed in your particular circumstances.
- Once you have had your meeting, the other person will be invited to attend their own meeting, unless there are specific reasons why this should not happen. This will be discussed with you in confidence at your meeting.
- If, for any reason, it isn’t appropriate to contact the other person, a certificate will be issued to you after the meeting which you can use if it is necessary to make an application to court.
If you wish to book your MIAM, please complete our client questionnaire with the information that we need to process your application. The information we require is confidential and will not be shared, sold or passed onto anyone.
TO START THE PROCESS, PLEASE CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW TO COMPLETE YOUR PARTICIPANT QUESTIONNAIRE – WE WILL THEN CONTACT YOU.
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