In a report published in 2012, The National Audit Office said the average cost for mediation was £675 per person. The average cost per person for cases going to court was £2,823. An average cost saving of £2,148. Am I eligible for Legal Aid?

If you are unsure about your eligibility you can check this on the Legal Aid Agency website: https://www.gov.uk/check-legal-aid

If you wish to be assessed for Civil Legal Aid Funding, you will need to provide evidence about all of your household income for the month prior to your appointment. Household income is the total amount of money paid to you and anyone else living in your home in either earnings or benefits. You must bring this information to your MIAM. Otherwise the assessment cannot be completed and you will be charged at the rates set-out below.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are assessed as not being eligible the normal fees will be charged.

In order for an assessment to be made and for you to be given free mediation the following information, supported by evidence, must be given to the mediator at the time of your first meeting:

Your monthly household income (payslips)

The amount of all benefits you receive

The current value of any property you own

The total amount of any outstanding mortgages

The total amount of any savings, shares or endowment policies (statements)

Any other capital you have

Amount you pay in rent or mortgage each month

Any payments you make for childcare or child support

In addition to being part of the Mediation and More private practice, most of our fully accredited mediators also have individual contract agreements with the National Family Mediation Direct (NFMD) service. We are therefore able to assess your eligibility for free mediation through Civil Legal Aid. If you are eligible, your case is taken over by NFMD who hold the contract with the Legal Aid Agency.

YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE 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. To support this, a financial contribution of up to £500 towards the costs of mediation will be provided, if eligible.

Only mediators authorised by the Family Mediation Council (FMC) are taking part in the voucher scheme.

How do I know if I am eligible for a mediation voucher?

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

Private Practice Fees

If you are not eligible for Legal Aid, the following fees apply for our service:

Family Mediation

MEDIATION TYPE	NO. OF SESSIONS	CHARGE PER PERSON PER SESSION
Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM)	1 session of 30 to 45 minutes	£100
Cancellation of MIAM with less than 48 hours notice or non-attendance	-	£50
Issue Court Forms only	-	£75
Property & Finance Mediation	Average 2-3 x 1.5 hour sessions	£200
All Issue Mediation	Average 2-3 x 1.5 hour sessions	£200
Child Arrangements Mediation	Average 1-2 x 1.5 hour sessions	£175
Child Consultation	Up to 1 hour session	£100
Cancellation of session with less than 48 hours notice or non-attendance	-	£100
Memorandum of Understanding – Child Issues	-	£100
Issue Open Financial Statement Memorandum of Understanding	- -	£150 £150

Payment is accepted by cash or card before the session, on the day.

A non-returnable deposit of £50 is taken when you book a MIAM appointment against non-attendance or late cancellation (less than 48 hours).

The remaining £50 is payable at the start of the session.

The fee for Court Forms must be paid before the form is issued.

A non-returnable deposit of £100 per person is taken when the first mediation session is booked. This is held against non-attendance or late cancellation (less than 48 hours).

Family Issues Mediation

TYPE OF MEETING	DURATION	COST PER ADULT
Initial meeting Each adult individual	30 minutes	£50
Joint meeting All parties in the same room	2 hours	£160 per adult *
Joint meeting (Shuttle) Parties in separate rooms	2 hours	£320 per adult *

* Extra charges apply if meeting exceeds time.

We set our fees at a low hourly rate of £80 per adult to enable as much participation as possible. Children are not charged.

Typically, we would expect to see each person for an initial ½ hour meeting. If all parties agree to a joint meeting, a 2 hour mediation session would be booked. Further sessions could be booked if necessary, or desirable.

If you are not able to be in the same room as the other participants, two mediators would be involved which means you pay double. Whenever possible, we would always hope to end the meeting with a face to face summing-up.

Workplace Mediation

The fees involved will depend on the complexity of the issues, the number of people involved and the number of meetings required.

There is a minimum fee of £800.

Charges will vary with each case. Once a fee has been agreed a written contract will be raised for the referring organisation and the mediation service to sign. Please contact us for a no obligation quote of fees for your situation.

A typical example of the fees we charge is given here for guidance.

Initial meeting between the referrer and the lead mediator	£240
Minimum charge for mediation day (5 hours)	£800
Mediator mileage (if required)	50p per mile

Other mediator expenses by prior agreement.

Community Mediation

The fees involved will depend on the complexity of the issues, the number of people involved and the number of meetings required.

There is a minimum fee of £450.

Charges will vary with each case. Once a fee has been agreed a written contract will be raised for the relevant parties and the mediation service to sign. Please contact us for a no obligation quote of fees for your situation.

A typical example of the fees we charge is given here for guidance.

Initial letters and arranging a joint meeting	£200
Minimum charge for mediation session (3 hour meeting)	£450
Mediator mileage (if required)	50p per mile

Other expenses by prior agreement (costs of meeting rooms etc.).