Quick answer · The MIAM series
The MIAM certificate: what do you actually receive?
The short answer
Usually nothing separate: for most applications your accredited mediator signs the MIAM section built into the court form itself, the C100 for children or Form A for finances. A separate FM1 form is still used when you apply on form C1 or C2 for certain orders, such as parental responsibility or special guardianship. Either way, the confirmation is treated as valid for four months.
What the mediator signs
When your MIAM ends, the mediator completes and signs the MIAM section built into the court application form. On a children application that is the C100, and on a financial application it is Form A. The signature confirms two things only: that you attended a MIAM with an authorised mediator, and which outcome category applies, for example that mediation is not suitable or that the other person did not wish to attend.
The signed section says nothing about what you discussed. Everything you raised in the meeting stays confidential, subject to the narrow safeguarding limits every mediator explains at the start.
Who can sign it
Only a mediator authorised by the Family Mediation Council can sign the MIAM section of a court form. In practice that means an FMCA accredited mediator or a mediator working under one. It is worth checking accreditation before you book, because a meeting with an unaccredited mediator will not satisfy the court. Our guide to mediator accreditation shows how to check the register in under a minute.
When the FM1 form is still used
The FM1 has not disappeared. It is the separate MIAM confirmation form used when your application is made on form C1 or C2 rather than a C100 or Form A. That covers certain Children Act 1989 orders: parental responsibility orders and orders ending parental responsibility, appointing or ending the appointment of a child’s guardian, permission to change a child’s surname or remove a child from the United Kingdom, and special guardianship orders.
For those applications the mediator completes and signs the FM1, and you send it to the family court together with your completed C1 or C2. The FM1 is not an application form for a court order, it simply confirms the MIAM position for your case.
How long it stays valid
The signed confirmation is treated as valid for four months. If more than four months pass between your MIAM and your court application, you can be asked to attend again, so it makes sense to time the MIAM reasonably close to any application you expect to make.
Some older websites say the FM1 was scrapped entirely. Not quite: it left the C100 and Form A routes, where the confirmation moved into the form itself, but it remains the right form for the C1 and C2 applications listed above.
Quick questions
Does the signed form show what I said at the MIAM?
No. It records attendance and an outcome category only. The content of the meeting stays confidential, subject to limited safeguarding exceptions.
Is there a fee for the certificate?
There is no separate fee. Signing the court form is part of the MIAM itself, which typically costs around 130 to 150 pounds and is free if you qualify for legal aid.
What if I lose the signed form?
Contact the mediation service. They keep a record of your attendance and can complete a fresh form, provided you are still within the four month window.
Is the FM1 form still used?
Yes. The FM1 is the MIAM confirmation form for applications made on form C1 or C2, covering orders such as parental responsibility, guardianship, permission to change a child’s surname or remove a child from the UK, and special guardianship. For C100 and Form A applications the confirmation is built into the form instead.
Keep reading
Sources: Family Procedure Rules Part 3 and Practice Direction 3A; Family Mediation Council; HMCTS form FM1. Checked 17 July 2026.
Written by the Mediation Guide editorial team and reviewed by an FMC accredited family mediator. Part of our complete MIAM guide.