How much family mediation costs in the UK

Family mediation in the UK is typically charged per hour, per party. A MIAM (the assessment meeting) usually costs between £60 and £120 per person. Full mediation sessions run from £100 to £200 per hour per person, depending on the mediator and the area. Most couples need three to six sessions to work through everything. Legal aid is available for mediation if you meet the income threshold; the Family Mediation Council publishes who qualifies. Compared with going through solicitors, where the total for a contested split can run into thousands of pounds, mediation is usually a small fraction of the cost.

When I first looked into mediation I assumed it was going to be expensive. I think because I was associating it with solicitors, and the words "family law" have the kind of weight to them that makes you think four figures minimum.

Our MIAM was £85 each, so £170 total. That was less than I'd worried about and more than I'd hoped for. The mediator was upfront at the start about what full sessions would cost. £140 an hour each in our area. We're booked in for what'll probably be four sessions, so we're looking at around £1,100 to £1,200 total between us if we keep it that tight.

That sounds like a lot when you say it out loud. It's also a quarter of what a friend of mine spent on a contested split that didn't go to court but did go through solicitor letters for nine months. So I'm trying to keep the comparison honest.

What I didn't know going in was that legal aid is available for mediation if you're under the income threshold. We're not, but it's worth checking. The Family Mediation Council page is the right place to start.

The thing Meedi helped me with, in the Solo Session, was the worry that paying for mediation meant I was already losing money I shouldn't have to spend. It's a reframe. The money you spend on mediation is money you're not spending on fighting through solicitors later. I'd rather be paying the mediator.