Mediation & MIAMS
Mediation allows you to take control and make your own informed decisions together regarding children, finances and other relationship breakdown issues, reaching mutual agreement usually by a series of round the table meetings with a trained mediator.
Reaching a mutually acceptable agreement is usually achieved by a series of round the table meetings with one of our mediators. The mediator will be independent of you both and therefore not able to provide you with legal advice. However, we can provide you with legal information as to the options available to each of you. You will both still need to obtain separate legal advice, but this will generally be limited to the terms of the agreement that you have reached (called a Memorandum of Understanding) or whether there is a dispute as to how a Court may resolve an issue between you both.
Mediation is ideally suited to couples who are willing to try to resolve their problems in a constructive and cooperative way. The process will generally be considerably quicker and cheaper than proceeding through the Courts.
If you’re unsure about mediation, it may be that you would benefit from a Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM). This involves one of our mediators explaining all the legal options available to you and in fact it is now compulsory for anyone wishing to make an application to Court that they first attend a MIAM.
We appreciate that it is not always possible to take time off work to meet with your Solicitor. You may have commitments and responsibilities such as caring for your children, which make it difficult for you to visit our offices. To help you with this and ensure that you are still able to meet with one of our mediators, we can offer mediation meetings via Skype.
Both parties and the mediator will generally meet at one of our offices in order to discuss and resolve the issues arising from your relationship breakdown. A typical mediation will take an average of three to four sessions with each session generally lasting up to 1 ½ hours.
Should you find it difficult to engage in mediation in the same room as the other party, we can consider ‘shuttle mediation’ and offer this in suitable cases. This simply means that you will each meet with the mediator at the same time, in the same premises, but in separate rooms and the mediator will then go between each room in order to facilitate the negotiations between you both.
Family Mediation Voucher Scheme:
The family mediation voucher scheme is a time-limited scheme, designed to support parties who may be able to resolve their family law disputes outside of court. The Government has set up the scheme in response to Covid-19 to support recovery in the family court and to encourage more people to consider mediation as a means of resolving their disputes, where appropriate.
Family Law Group is proud to provide this scheme, and at your MIAM, the mediator will discuss the voucher scheme with you if your case might be eligible. You will be offered a ‘voucher’ contribution, subject to suitability, case type, and availability of the vouchers.
Find out more here
We can now provide private Mediation Information Meetings (MIAMS) and mediation for children matters on Saturdays from 9.30am – 12.30pm. Please call 0800 1777121 in advance to check availability and book an appointment.
To make a referral for mediation, please fill out this form.
I would like to take this opportunity to give a sincere thank you to your firm. We found you extremely professional, thorough, understanding and sensitive to both of us through this dreadful ordeal. We will definitely be recommending you to others in the future. Many thanks again for all your kind and honest words.
– S Bate
