The Ministry of Justice has recently announced a £1 million fund to help fund mediation for separating couples. This fund will be paid out in payments of up to £500 towards the cost of mediation. This is a huge saving for many couples and for some it may be the difference between being able to undertake mediation and not being able to. We are delighted to be one of the providers offering this scheme and so you can claim a voucher to fund your mediation costs with us if you qualify.

This funding is for those couples who are either separating or who have separated and who wish to talk about making arrangements for their children. Each party will need to have a separate MIAMS (Mediation Information and Assessment meeting) first and this isn’t funded. This is a 60 minute meeting to get background information from you and to enable the mediator to make an assessment to see whether mediation is a suitable process for you to use.

There aren’t many reasons why it wouldn’t be suitable but it is essential the mediator checks that entering mediation will not compromise anyone’s physical safety or their mental or emotional wellbeing. The MIAMS meeting is £150. These MIAMS meetings need to have taken place on or after 26th March 2021.

We see people who are often worried that lawyers will seek to position them against each other and try to spin out a long battle. Good lawyers don’t do this and will always work to your instructions and encourage you to be realistic about the way forward

The voucher can then be used to pay for a first joint meeting. These are 1.5 hours long and the cost is £400. It could then part pay a further mediation meeting (which could be 1.5 hour or 1 hour in length). Alternatively you could purchase a fixed fee package of 3 x 1.5 hour mediation meetings for £1,000 and this voucher could fund half of that meaning each person would then only need to pay £250 to have 3 meetings. Mediation is an enormously flexible process and we’re big believers in making it work in the best way possible for the couple who are in mediation at any given moment.

Mediation meetings are currently taking place online due to the pandemic but we anticipate re-introducing some meetings in person in May. Clients will be able to choose whether they attend meetings online via Zoom or in person.

There is more information about the scheme here. If you’d like to use it to enter mediation with us then please contact us on 01306 646690 or email louisa@lkwfamilymediation.co.uk

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