Our Family Mediation service works in two areas:
- Those who are divorcing, separating or already separated, as well as grandparents and other family members seeking involvement in child arrangements.
- Intergenerational and extended family disputes.
For all matters you can contact us on 0300 102 3033 or family@calmmediation.org
Our other services are: Neighbour & Community Mediation, Workplace Mediation, Youth Mediation, Restorative Justice and Training.
1. ‘Family Mediation’ – divorce/separation and family contact with children
Our highly experienced family mediators can help you make arrangements for children, property and finance. Mediation puts you very much in control of making your own decisions and, compared with going to court, it can be quick, effective and relatively low in cost.
We can offer Legal Aid cover for eligible clients. As a not-for-profit organisation, we aim to make family mediation accessible and affordable and offer a concessionary rate for those on a low income if not eligible for Legal Aid.
We are also authorised by the Family Mediation Council to offer the ‘Mediation Voucher Scheme’ – you may get up to £500 towards your mediation costs, even if you can’t get Legal Aid.
2. ‘Intergenerational’ and extended family disputes.
Our clients may be experiencing estrangement, broken relationships or differences of approach, which are making family life difficult. We have mediators aged from 18 to 80 who have experience to support you with finding a way forward that is realistic and constructive. Using the ‘co-mediation’ model, Calm Mediation will ensure that you have two mediators working with you throughout the process.
1. Family Mediation – information, process and prices
We offer:
* MIAMs (Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings) from £80 per person
* Child Arrangements, Property and Finance and All Issues Mediation
* Mediation costs covered, for many clients, by Legal Aid or Voucher scheme
* Court forms signed at no additional cost
* Child Inclusive Mediation, where appropriate
About Family Mediation
MIAMs
If you think you would like to consider family mediation as a way of resolving issues with your former partner you can arrange to come in to our centre for a MIAM (Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting).
A MIAM is a one to one meeting with a family mediator which lasts for up to 45 minutes. You can explain your situation and the mediator will work out with you whether mediation is suitable and safe. This meeting will give you a clear idea what your options are and you can then decide how you’d like to move forward.
At the end of this session, if you want to use mediation, and the mediator agrees it is suitable, we will try to contact the other party and invite them to come in for a MIAM. If they agree to proceed and it is suitable we will invite you in for a joint mediation session which will last for 90 minutes. If the other person does not respond or does not wish to consider mediation we can sign the form(s) you need for court.
Mediation Sessions
In mediation sessions, you will sit down in a room with the other person and one or two of our family mediators. The mediators will help you to have a conversation about arrangements for children and/or property or finances. You will both have a chance to speak and be heard and express your wishes and feelings.
Where you reach agreement the mediator(s) will record this and write up a mediation session summary, outcome summary or parenting plan. It may take more than one mediation session to reach an agreement depending on your situation.
Contact us about Family Mediation on 0300 102 3033 or family@calmmediation.org
Memorandum of Understanding
For agreements on property and/or financial matters a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) can be produced. This is not a legally binding document but you can seek legal advice about going to court to make it legally binding.
Advantages of Mediation over going to Court
- Children benefit because of reduced conflict and ability to have a say in what happens
- Likely to be quicker and far less expensive than lengthy court proceedings
- You, as parents, are in control of decisions and making arrangements for your family
- Encourages a more co-operative relationship between parents
Legal Aid and Voucher Scheme for Family Mediation
If you are on a low income we can assess you at your MIAM – if you are eligible your MIAM and mediation sessions will be free. If one person is eligible for legal aid the Legal Aid Agency will pay for a MIAM for each person and the first family mediation session.
If not sure if you are eligible see https://www.gov.uk/check-legal-aid
Not eligible? You may still qualify for £500 towards your mediation costs through the government’s non-means-tested Mediation Voucher Scheme.
Family Mediation Fees
MIAMs
| Annual Income | Client Fees |
| Eligible for Legal Aid | No fee payable |
| Income below £30k (with proof of income) | £80 per person including signing of court forms |
| Income over £30k | £95 per person including signing of court forms |
Joint Mediation Sessions – Child Only Cases
| Annual Income | Client Fees |
| Eligible for Legal Aid | No fee payable |
| Income below £30k (with proof of income) | £120 per person per 90 minute session
Final documents if needed: MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) or SCA (Statement of Child Arrangements) £25 per person |
| Income over £30k | £150 per person per 90 minute session
Final documents if needed: MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) or SCA (Statement of Child Arrangements) £30 per person |
Joint Mediation Sessions – Property and Finance and All Issues (ie. child & finance) Cases
| Joint Mediation – Property and Finance and All Issues Mediation | |
| Annual Income | Client Fees |
| Eligible for Legal Aid | No fee payable |
| Income below £30k (with proof of income) | £160 per person per 90 minute session
Final documents if needed: MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) and/or OFS (Open financial Statement) £30 per person |
| Income over £30k | £190 per person per 90 minute session.
Final documents if needed: £50 per person MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) and/or OFS (Open financial Statement) |
Want to think about it?
Bear in mind that the government’s Mediation Voucher scheme (giving £500 towards your costs) is temporary – you are welcome to call us to check the current position – 0300 102 3033.
Do you need Legal Aid support for your family mediation?
Legal Aid is available, for those on low/no income, to access family mediation. The number of Mediation Providers offering Legal Aid is dropping fast (over 200 in 2018 and now less than 100 – payment to Providers hasn’t changed since 2004). Calm Mediation is co-leading an Action Group to push for Legal Aid to be made sustainable – to make sure it remains available to you and other families.
If you think Legal Aid should remain available for Family Mediation, please support it here.
2. ‘Intergenerational’ process and pricing
Stage 1: a short call with each client to outline mediation and to check in about any concerns.
Stage 2: Introductory meeting (IM) with each client for an hour – to hear their perspective and what they would like from the mediation process.
Stage 3: Joint meeting (JM) – to enable listening, discussion and generation of options that everyone can accept for the future.
These meetings can be online or in person, depending on the clients’ needs.
What our clients say about Family Mediation
“It’s been over two years since I attended mediation but I just wanted to thank you for your efforts at the time. Your guidance gave me a lot of strength to continue with what I believe to be fair and reasonable requests. I didn’t have to go to court in the end and your advice empowered me greatly which, meant a lot to me.”
“From the start they took the time to listen to me and felt like they understood. All in all I can say a brilliant service, thank you!”
“Helpful, informative, friendly, and committed to finding a positive resolution.”
“I really appreciate what you have done for us today, thank you so much”
“I wanted to thank you sincerely for your great work yesterday at the MIAM and mediation session. You made me feel welcome, at ease and gave me peace of mind that mediation might bring some resolution”.
“Thanks a lot for the mediation session. I am glad that we were able to achieve this much”.
“The team works professionally and shows human understanding. You get the best from your visit even if the outcome may not have been your way. Thank you.”
Our Family Mediators
Ursula Little – Senior Family Mediator (Accredited)
Ursula is a highly experienced Family Mediator who has dealt with hundreds of cases of Child Arrangements, Property and Finance and All Issues mediation. Ursula trained as a Family Mediator in 2010 and is a full-time Family Mediator. She is accredited through the Family Mediation Council (FMC) to carry out private mediations and those funded through Legal Aid and the Voucher Scheme. She is also a member of National Family Mediation (NFM).
Ursula has particular experience of dealing with complex property and finance cases, including pension sharing arrangements and relocation as well as child arrangements cases including high conflict cases. An international element to her cases is not unusual.
Ursula has mediated many other types of family cases including disputes about probate, wills, care of the elderly and wider family breakdown.
Ursula is bilingual and is able to mediate in French.
Heidi Ingamells – Family Mediator (Accredited)
Heidi joined us in 2021 and is accredited through the Family Mediation Council (FMC) which means she can mediate for private, Legally Aided and Voucher Scheme clients. Heidi qualified in 2019 and has been working with separated parents since 2012 delivering programmes about communication and what children need. Heidi has also assisted in running Youth Mediation schemes in schools.
Simeon Costa – Family Mediator (Qualified)
Simeon joined us in March 2022 as a fully qualified Family Mediator. He is working towards his accreditation with the Family Mediation Council (FMC). He is a member of the FMC and the College of Mediators.
Intergenerational Mediators
We have a panel of experienced mediators from diverse backgrounds to provide Intergenerational Mediation. Some started mediating at school with our Youth (peer) program, before moving on to Community and Intergenerational matters. Others have come to mediation alongside, or after, an adult career. All have been accredited through a rigorous training and induction process to work as Calm Mediators.
Contact us about Family Mediation on 0300 102 3033 or family@calmmediation.org