Our Pricing
MIAMs: Mediation Information & Assessment Meeting
A Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM) is a necessary step for anyone who is considering making a family court application in a matter such as child arrangements and the financial claims arising from a divorce or dissolution. It provides an opportunity to consider the options of, for example, resolving the problem through mediation, arbitration or neutral evaluation, or going through the court process. While it’s not a requirement to reach an agreement through mediation, it is a requirement to attend a MIAM prior to submitting an application to the Single Family Court for most people.
£199 per person
Online MIAM
A 60-minute MIAM with an authorised and experienced family mediator over your webcam. The price includes a MIAM certificate for court if you decide during your appointment that you are unwilling to mediate, or the mediator decides that mediation is unsuitable.
£199 per person
In-person MIAM
A 60-minute MIAM appointment with an authorised family mediator at our consulting rooms in Ipswich. The price includes a MIAM certificate for court if you decide during your appointment that you are unwilling to mediate, or the mediator decides that mediation is unsuitable.
Family Mediation
A 90-minute joint meeting conducted by an experienced Family Mediation Council accredited mediator who is also a non-practising solicitor. The price is fixed and covers the mediator’s preparation time, the meeting time, and routine follow-up work, including a written summary.
This is suitable for those who are or who have been married, in a civil partnership and living together as cohabitants, as well as parents who have a child or children together.
Financial Matters or All Issues
£299 per person
Online mediation to help sort out any financial and property claims when a relationship breaks down.
This is suitable for couples who are or have been married, in a civil partnership, or living together as cohabitants.
Mediation about
- Property and housing.
- Money and other assets.
- Pension sharing.
- Child maintenance.
- Spousal maintenance.
- Any of the above plus parenting.
Parenting Matters
from £250 per person
Online mediation to help sort out matters relating to children when a relationship breaks down.
This is suitable for parents who have a child or children together.
Mediation about
- Creating a parenting plan.
- Communication and co-parenting.
- Child arrangements for parents and grandparents.
- Discussing a specific issue, such as choice of school or relocation.
- Child maintenance.
Elder & Adult
Form £249 per person
Elder mediation is a safe space for conversations about a loved one. Adult mediation offers the space to talk about what route to take to rebuild a relationship that has broken down or which isn’t working as you would like. This might be a relationship with a sibling, business partner or neighbour. Please note the prices of mediation sessions vary depending on whether there are one or two mediators. Each potential mediation participant would have a confidential consultation with the same mediator before mediation starts. Charges start at £180 for an individual confidential private online meeting.
Common elder and adult problems we help with:
- Facilitating family discussions around safety, finances, capabilities, and other day-to-day needs.
- Appointing a Power of Attorney.
- Living arrangements.
- Planning and anticipating issues before they become crises.
- Addressing disputes about wills and inheritance.
Elder-related Problems
From £279 per person
For issues relating to wills, estates and elder care.
From £299 per person
For issues relating to wills, estates and elder care.
Pet Mediation
Mediation provides a way of sorting out arrangements for a loved pet when the owners’ relationship ends. Each potential mediation participant would have a confidential consultation with the same mediator before mediation starts. The process starts with a confidential pre-mediation consultation which is charged as a MIAM, above.
Pet Arrangements
From £249 per person
Online mediation for sorting out arrangements for a loved pet when the owners’ relationship ends.
From £299 per person
In-person mediation for sorting out arrangements for a loved pet when the owners’ relationship ends.
What sort of things can be sorted out in pet mediation?
- Where the pet should live.
- If there should be a shared care arrangement.
- Whether the pet should spend time with both their humans.
- How the pet’s care should be financed.
- Provision for the pet’s end of life care.
Frequently asked questions
Some of the questions people ask us most often about costs.
How much does it cost?
A Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) costs £199 per person. This covers your 60-minute meeting and us contacting the other person. If, after your MIAM, you decide you would rather not mediate, you can ask us for a MIAM certificate, and the cost of it is included in the price of the MIAM. We explain the details when you book.
Mediation meetings are charged at a fixed price per meeting, so you know the cost in advance. Most mediations take between two and six meetings. Our current prices are on our Pricing page.
If your problem or dispute involves children, you may be able to get up to £500 towards the cost of mediation through the government’s Family Mediation Voucher Scheme. The voucher can’t be used for MIAMs. If you’re eligible, we apply for it on your behalf.
Can I get legal aid for mediation?
We don’t offer legal aid mediation. If you think you may qualify for legal aid, you can check on the government’s website. You can find a mediator who offers it using the Family Mediation Council’s “Find your local mediator” search, by ticking “Provides mediation funded by legal aid”.
If your problem or dispute involves children, you may be able to get up to £500 towards the cost of mediation through the government’s Family Mediation Voucher Scheme, whatever your income. The voucher can’t be used for MIAMs. If you’re eligible, we apply for it on your behalf.
How long does mediation take?
Family mediation usually takes place over a series of meetings, each an hour and a half long, held three to four weeks apart. Most mediations take between two and six meetings, most commonly four or five.
There are good reasons for spacing meetings out:
- it spreads the cost
- it gives time to gather any information or documents needed before the next meeting
- it gives you both time to reflect and prepare, which helps you make informed decisions that last
- our diaries are usually booked about three weeks ahead
How many meetings you need depends on what needs to be sorted out, and how quickly any information can be gathered.
Longer meetings are possible. If we all agree it would be suitable, a meeting can be two or three hours long. A three-hour meeting gets more done than two shorter ones, because the time spent starting and finishing each meeting only happens once.
Before mediation starts, we meet each of you separately at a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM).
How long is a MIAM certificate valid for?
A Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) certificate can only be used for a court application made within four months of the MIAM.
If we meet only the person who contacted us, the certificate is dated with the date of their MIAM. If we also meet the other person, it is dated with the date of the other person’s MIAM. Your court application must be made within four months of that date.
If you ask for a certificate more than four months after the date of your MIAM, or that of the other person, we can’t provide one, because it would no longer be valid. You would need to have another MIAM with us first. This is what the court rules require.