Frequently Asked Questions
It’s short for Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting. These meetings are also sometimes referred to as pre-court meetings.
The law requires anyone (with a few exceptions) wishing to make an application to the family court for a child, financial or property order to have a MIAM first. They will not be allowed to lodge their papers at court if they haven’t had one.
The point of the MIAM is to explore whether mediation might be a more suitable way of dealing with the problem or dispute than court.
The mediator listens and explores whether mediation may be a more suitable than going to court.
If you are not willing to mediate, you do not have to. You can ask the mediator for a certificate showing that you have attended a MIAM. The certificate will allow you to make a court application
On the other hand, if you would like to try mediation, you can ask the mediator to make contact with your ex inviting them to a similar meeting. If your ex attends a MIAM also, and wants to mediate, the mediator will make arrangements with you both to start the process.
If your ex is unwilling to meet for a MIAM, or attends a MIAM but is unwilling to mediate, you can ask the mediator for a certificate showing that you have attended a MIAM.
Coronavirus and Online Mediation
Primrose Mediation services have been operating safely throughout lockdown, mostly online and are leaders in the field. We have helped hundreds of clients online to help them reach an amicable solution. Our mediators will be able to explain how the process works, and ensure you can access their service.
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. To support this, a financial contribution of up to £500 towards the costs of mediation will be provided, if eligible.
How do I apply for a mediation voucher?
If you or the other parent/person are eligible for legal aid you both will qualify for a free MIAM (with mediators that carry out legal aid work).
If neither of you are eligible for legal aid, you will have to pay for the MIAM. This is around £90 per person. Estimated fees may vary depending on your location and the experience of the mediator. Some mediators offer reductions if you’re unemployed or on a low income.
No, the use of the mediation voucher is restricted to assisting with funding of mediation sessions only. You will have to pay for your MIAM first, unless you are eligible for legal aid.
On attendance of a MIAM, a trained mediator will assess the issues which you seek to resolve to see if they are suitable for mediation and meet the eligibility requirements for the voucher scheme.
Not all cases are eligible under the scheme. The case types specified below are eligible for a mediation voucher:
- a dispute/application regarding a child
- a dispute/application regarding family financial matters where you are also involved in a dispute/application relating to a child
It is important to remember that mediation is only an option when both people agree to take part in it, so you and the other person will need to agree to mediate.
If you decide to proceed with mediation, and are eligible for the voucher, your mediator will apply for the voucher funding and it will be paid directly to them once all mediation sessions are concluded. You will not receive a physical voucher and you will not need to make an application for it.
Vouchers are limited in number and will be offered to eligible parties until they are no longer available. Your mediator will let you know if there are vouchers available.
You will be asked to confirm that you have:
- asked the mediator to apply for the voucher
- not already applied for another voucher as part of the same scheme
- given consent to your mediator providing your necessary information to the Family Mediation Council. This includes your name, the bill for mediation services you receive from the mediator and some basic information about your case.
You can only claim once per family/ case for a one-off contribution of up to £500 towards your mediation costs.
If you have an application or dispute relating to a child and also have a financial issue application or dispute ongoing at the same time, you can still only receive up to £500.
If you make a second application and have already received a voucher, you will not be offered a second voucher under this scheme.
This will depend on the rates set by your chosen mediator and how many mediation sessions are required. The voucher is intended to be a contribution towards mediation sessions. Your mediator will tell you their rates and how many sessions the voucher is likely to cover. As the total value of the voucher is £500, you may need to contribute to the overall cost of your sessions if you choose to continue with mediation.
This will depend on the rates set by your chosen mediator and how many mediation sessions are required. The voucher is intended to be a contribution towards mediation sessions. Your mediator will tell you their rates and how many sessions the voucher is likely to cover. As the total value of the voucher is £500, you may need to contribute to the overall cost of your sessions if you choose to continue with mediation.
Yes, the vouchers are allocated per case.
If one person in that case is eligible for legal aid, the other person can still apply for a voucher to contribute toward their mediation costs. If the other person is eligible for legal aid but you are not then you will also be entitled to legal aid funding which will cover the cost of the MIAM and the a first mediation session.
If your issues solely relate to a financial remedy dispute/application you will not be able to obtain a voucher. However, if your issues relate to a child and to a financial remedy issue you can obtain a voucher, subject to availability.
The mediation voucher scheme comes into effect on 26 March 2021. Vouchers can only be obtained where a MIAM has been attended on or after this date.
You will also be asked to complete a short monitoring questionnaire. Completing this is optional.
Your mediator will be required to provide some information about your case, such as whether you reach an agreement and whether you ask the court to formalise an agreement. The data provided will be anonymised before being used to provide information about the way in which the voucher scheme and the mediation services were used.