Valid from 1 April 2024
All prices inclusive of VAT at 20%
Legal Aid
Legally Aided (free) mediation is available if your financial situation makes you eligible. If either person qualifies for free mediation, the initial assessment and first mediation appointment is free for both parties. Please speak to our admin team if you think you may be eligible.
Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM)
Before mediation starts we invite you to come for an information/assessment meeting to discuss your situation and decide whether mediation is right for you. This is called the Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM).
| Assessment – One party only (includes C100 or Form A if required) |
1.0 hour | £120 per person |
Mediation Session Fees
Mediation session fees are dependent on your annual income.
| Income under £50,000 per year | 1.5 hours | £168 per person, per session |
| Income above £50,000 | 1.5 hours | £210 per person, per session |
Other costs for mediation (per client)
The number of sessions needed will vary. Typically, ‘all issues’ mediation involving both finance and child arrangements averages 4 x 1.5 hrs sessions. For child arrangements only these sessions average around 2 x 1.5 hrs sessions
| Documentation
Open Financial Statement (OFS) |
£144 per person |
| Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) |
£180 per person |
| Child Inclusive Mediation | £24 per parent |
| Replacement copy of C100 or Form A* *These certificates can only be replaced if requested no later than four months after your MIAM or last mediation session |
£25 |
Family Mediation Voucher Scheme
The Ministry of Justice & Family Mediation Council are continuing to offer up to £500 of financial support towards the cost of mediation for separating families with children to help avoid stressful court battles. This funding is not means tested, but both parties must have had a MIAM meeting and agreed they wish to mediate before an application can be made. If successful, the funding will cover at least one free 90 minute mediation session for each client.
How much more expensive would it be to go to court?
The cost of going to court varies a lot, but it is expensive:
Finances
If you start court proceedings about the finances and you want to be represented in court, then litigation costs are likely to be between £15,000 – £30,000 depending on how many hearings you need. Just for the first hearing for example costs may be in the region of £5,000 – £10,000. The fees could be much more, or they could be slightly less.
Children
If you are legally represented throughout Contested Child Act proceedings then costs could be in the region of £40,000, but again it depends on how many hearings you would need and how long each hearing takes.
What does a solicitor cost per hour vs mediation?
A Family law solicitor in south west London is around £180 – £250 + VAT per hr. Once VAT is included it would cost £215 – £300 per hr.A mediation session is 1.5 hrs long. To spend 1.5 hr talking face to face with a solicitor would cost approx. £258 for a newly qualified solicitor £360 for a senior solicitor and there would then be charges for time spent on follow up letters and calls.The cost of a mediation session with one of our highly experienced mediators, all of whom have legal training, would be £162 or £210 depending on your income. You just pay for the number of sessions that you have.
What happens when mediation is successfully concluded? Are there any further costs?
Everything that you have agreed in mediation regarding both finance and child arrangements will be carefully written up for you by the mediator. In most cases successfully agreed child arrangements do not need further court orders and therefore there are unlikely to be further costs. In the case of agreed financial proposals you do still need a solicitor to complete the process, but their charge will be for drafting an order based on what you and your ex- partner have already agreed rather than lengthy negotiation on your behalf. A local solicitor will charge in the region of £1,000 to prepare the final paperwork.On average we help 70% of people reach agreement after 4 sessions regarding some or all of their issues.Not only is mediation a more cost effective route than litigation it is generally a faster route allowing both parties to move on to the next phase of their lives.
Other information re charges
Please note: Appointments changed/cancelled with less than 3 working days notice will be charged at a fee of £90.
Charges for mediation are per person, per session and are payable in advance. Payment is due at least 5 working days before each scheduled session by either bank transfer, debit/credit card, or cash.
