Get £500 towards family mediation
This spring, the government launched a new voucher scheme giving £500 towards family mediation.
It’s available to everyone in a conflict involving children. You don’t have to be eligible for legal aid or even to make an application. Your mediator will do that and it will be paid directly to them.
If you’re stuck in a painful conflict involving children but worried about how much mediation might cost or whether it’s worth the money, this could be a helpful step.
You can try it, see if it helps, then move forward in the way you choose. You only have to pay for the initial meeting and any sessions exceeding the £500 value of the voucher, if you want them.
The initial meeting, known as the MIAM (Mediation Information & Assessment Meeting), is a required step whether you’re interested in mediation or simply intend to proceed to court. It usually costs £100 per person, but if you’re eligible for legal aid, it’s free.
Mediation sessions cost £150 per person, so the voucher would completely cover the cost of the first session, if it involves two people, and most of the cost of a second, if you want it.
In many cases, we can resolve conflict or come to an agreement in one MIAM and one joint meeting.
You don’t even need to be in the same room. Our mediators are trained in providing help in a variety of situations.
We can help you figure out things like who children will live with; when will they see the other parent; financial arrangements; and whether lawyers or court proceedings should be involved.
As well as saving money on the mediation itself, this could help you avoid the costs involved in going to court, which can be a lengthy and painful process. You’ll be listened to. And any decisions are made only with the agreement of both parties, so you stay in control.
You can still go to court. Because of the process we go through in helping you come to agreement, decisions made in mediation are usually honoured but if you want to make them legally binding, you can take them to a solicitor for a court order.
Mediation gives you a chance to come to a quicker agreement. We won’t get into the nitty-gritty but we can help you resolve any potential legal disputes involving children, in a human way.
So you can focus on the relationships that matter.
How to apply
Call us on 0114 698 10 60 or email enquiries@meshccs.org.uk to arrange an initial meeting.
In the meeting, the mediator will discuss it with you and, depending on eligibility and availability, you’ll be offered a £500 voucher for joint mediation sessions.
Am I eligible?
The voucher is available if:
You’re stuck in a conflict regarding a child.
You’re stuck in a conflict about family financial matters and also in a dispute relating to a child.
Both people attend the mediation.
A MIAM has been attended on or after 26 March 2021, when the scheme launched. It will run until the grant runs out, which is expected to be sometime in late summer.
Find more information about the voucher on the Government website or contact us for a chat.
