Fast, affordable family mediation - starting with your MIAM
Separation & Divorce | Child Arrangements | Finance & Property | MIAMs
70%+ mediation agreement rate | FMC-trained mediators | Online appointments
Your future, in your hands…
If you’re separated, or going through a divorce or separation and need to resolve issues around parenting arrangements or financial matters, we’re here to help.
Family mediation offers separated couples the chance to resolve their issues in a constructive and positive way that avoids unnecessary conflict - and where children are involved, helps parents establish and build successful co-parenting arrangements going forward. Mediation gives you and your ex-partner the opportunity to resolve matters fairly and amicably without going to court.
With the average cost of divorce through the courts being £14,561, and the process taking upwards of 12 months in contested cases, mediation in contrast often works out much cheaper and causes less delay, allowing you to sooner move forward and focus on what is most important - your future.
Our Services
Parenting Issues
You need help with:
• Deciding where children live & how time is shared
• Reducing conflict around handovers, routines & decisions
• Schooling, holidays, special occasions & changes as children grow
• Improving communication and co-parenting ability
• Concerns about fairness, flexibility & children’s emotional wellbeing
Property & Finances
You’re stuck on:
• The family home, equity & future housing needs
• Income, outgoings, pensions, savings & debts
• Reality-testing proposals so arrangements are practical & sustainable
• Child maintenance & shared expenses
All Issues
You need help with:
• Both parenting issues and property & finance
• For where parenting, finances, communication, and future arrangements are interconnected and need to be considered as a whole
MIAMs
Pre-mediation meeting:
• Explaining mediation clearly so you can decide if it’s right for your situation
• Discussing your individual concerns in a private, one-to-one meeting
• Assessing suitability and safety, including power imbalance and conflict dynamics
• Fulfilling the court requirement where a MIAM is needed, and providing the relevant court form if mediation is not appropriate or not chosen
How mediation works
Click below to find out more about each stage.
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An assessment meeting (or MIAM) is simply an initial meeting with the mediator.
Each party meets the mediator separately to discuss their concerns, get relevant information and explore their options, including assessing whether mediation is suitable.
In the event you do not wish to continue with mediation, you will be signposted to alternative options - a signed court form can be provided allowing you to progress to court.
Usually, one party will instigate the mediation process by booking their initial assessment meeting. The mediator can then reach out to the other party, inviting them to their own assessment meeting.
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Upon completion of MIAMs for both parties, and mediation is deemed suitable, joint sessions are arranged at a time convenient to all parties.
These can be in the same (virtual) room or via separate break-out rooms (known as Shuttle Mediation)
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Mediators don’t take sides or make decisions. Our role is to manage a fair conversation, and help both parties explore workable options.
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Mediation is a confidential process.
Aside from in certain safeguarding scenarios, everything discussed in mediation is fully confidential, and crucially without prejudice - meaning parties can feel safe to explore issues and negotiate freely.
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Nothing in mediation is imposed - a mediator is not a judge. Agreements are reached only if both parties feel they are fair and workable.
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Any agreements reached can be recorded in documentation, ready for future reference, or to take to solicitors for drafting into consent orders or independent legal advice.
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We are an online-based service. All of our mediations and meetings take place online via Zoom by default.
In-person mediation is possible via special request and may incur an additional travel & room hire fee.
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In the event that mediation doesn’t work out, or one party decides to leave the process, our mediators will let you know your options going forward.
If you plan to apply to court, a signed court form can also be provided at this stage for a small fee - proof you have attempted mediation before applying, which in many cases is a requirement.
Mediation is sometimes paused to be revisited later, so the process is always left open.
Mediation is a good option if you and your partner are separating and:
you want to keep communication calm and respectful
you prefer to resolve matters without going to court
you’re open to discussing different options in a safe, structured setting
you want support to negotiate fairly and practically
you want to focus on workable arrangements for the future
you want to make sure any children’s needs remain central
Is mediation right for you?
You don’t need to agree on everything - or even get along - for mediation to work
What matters is a willingness to engage in the process and explore solutions
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Mediation may not be the right approach if:
- There are ongoing safety concerns, including domestic abuse or coercive control (although this does not automatically rule out suitability for mediation)
- One person feels unable to speak freely or safely in a shared process (this may also be a case for shuttle mediation - where parties are in separate rooms)
- There is no willingness from one or both parties to engage in discussion
- You are seeking a decision to be imposed by a court rather than exploring options
- Urgent court action is needed to protect you or your children
Please get in touch if you’d like to talk to someone before booking your assessment meeting.
“Our mediator was very friendly and approachable. Managed to simplify challenges which seemed almost impossible for us to both agree on. Saved a lot of issues and resolved us quite quickly. I would recommend.”
— Scott
Our mediators are FMC-trained, independent professionals who understand what a challenging time this can be. All of our mediators work to the ethical and professional standards set by the Family Mediation Council, and are registered with a founding body, hold relevant indemnity insurance and a valid DBS.
We do not judge, take sides, or push outcomes - our role is to give you the best chance of reaching an agreement that feels fair, and is sustainable and manageable for both parties.
Confidentiality, impartiality, and voluntary participation are the core principles of mediation and form the heart of how we work.
Our mediators
Our fees are affordable compared to other UK Mediation services.
On average, most mediation cases take 2-4 joint sessions to conclude. If the case involves children, please see our Access Family Mediation Voucher below.
Fees
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The first step in the mediation process, and usually required before applying to family court. The MIAM is for discussing your unique situation, the mediation process and whether mediation would be suitable.
✔ Online appointments
✔ Confidential, one-to-one
✔ Court form provided where appropriate - additional fee of £25
✔ Clear explanation of next steps
✔ 45-60 minutes length
✔ Conducted by an FMC-registered and supervised mediator WTA -
Where appropriate, joint mediation sessions (1.5hrs) may explore:
• Child arrangements
• Parenting communication
• Financial matters following separation, including property, debt, pensions, and more
• Any other issues you deem appropriateSessions can also be different lengths - charged at a flat rate of £100 per person per hour.
Joint sessions are arranged manually and may take place with an FMC-accredited or WTA co-mediator, subject to availability.
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Where mediation progresses, documentation may include:
• Open Financial Statement (OFS)
• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
• Parenting Plan
These documents can be taken to a solicitor for independent legal advice, or to be drafted into a consent order for court approval.
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Where mediation involves arrangements for children, we offer a private mediation voucher which covers 50% of the cost of your first two joint mediation sessions. Worth £300.
Please note: this is a private Access Family Mediation offer and is separate from the government Family Mediation Voucher Scheme.
How does this differ to the government Family Mediation Voucher Scheme?
The Government Family Mediation Voucher is £500 toward any case involving children. Depending on the service, this is usually used up in the first session for both party’s fees. It does not count toward assessment meetings. Our mediation voucher instead is split between the first two joint sessions, halving the fee for each party.
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Cancellation policy:
Your appointment time is reserved exclusively for you. Cancellations and rescheduling guidelines ensure that time and preparation are respected while maintaining flexibility.
- No charge if cancelling or rescheduling with more than 24 hours notice of the appointment.
If cancelling please note we are unable to refund Stripe processing fees.- Full charge if you cancel or reschedule within 24 hours, or fail to show up to the meeting, as we cannot reallocate the slot.
“Our mediator was professional, empathetic, a positive force. Clarity of service. Totally happy and would recommend. They could not have tried harder.”
— Bernadette
The benefits of Mediation
✓ Talk through what’s happening
✓ Understand your options
✓ Explore practical next steps
✓ Reduce conflict & improve communication
✓ Remain children-focused
✓ Avoid unnecessary court proceedings
What clients value about Access Family Mediation
✓ Clear explanations without legal jargon
✓ A calm, impartial approach
✓ Affordable, transparent fees
✓ A structured process that feels manageable
✓ Professional and human support
