Family mediation glossary

Reviewed and fact-checked by Chris Yaffes, FMC-accredited family mediator (FMC URN 0961A) Last reviewed 9 July 2026. Terms checked against the Family Mediation Council, gov.uk and legislation.gov.uk on that date.

MIAM  The first assessment meeting with a mediator, required before most court applications.

Memorandum of Understanding  The confidential record of proposals reached in mediation.

Open Financial Statement  The open, non-confidential summary of financial disclosure.

NCDR  Non-court dispute resolution: resolving matters without a hearing.

FM5  The form stating your position on non-court dispute resolution.

Consent order  A court order recording an agreement, making it binding.

C100  The application form for orders about children.

Form A  The application form for a financial order on divorce.

Child arrangements order  A court order stating where a child lives and who they see.

Shuttle mediation  Mediation with the parties in separate rooms.

Child-inclusive mediation  Mediation that hears the child’s voice through a trained mediator.

Without prejudice  Discussions that cannot be used as evidence in court.

FMCA  Family Mediation Council Accredited, the professional standard.

Parenting plan  A written co-parenting agreement.

Clean break order  An order ending all financial claims between ex-spouses.

Applicant  The person who makes an application to the family court.

Arbitration  A private process where an arbitrator makes a binding decision. See our guide to family arbitration.

Cafcass  The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, which advises the court on children’s welfare.

CETV  Cash Equivalent Transfer Value, the value placed on a pension for sharing on divorce.

Child maintenance  Regular payments towards a child’s living costs, agreed privately or through the Child Maintenance Service.

Collaborative law  Round-table negotiation with specially trained lawyers. See collaborative law.

Conditional order  The first divorce order under the 2022 law, formerly the decree nisi.

Contact  An older term for the time a child spends with a parent, now part of a child arrangements order.

D81  The statement of information filed with a financial consent order. See the D81 form.

Disclosure  Providing full and frank information about your finances. See financial disclosure.

Final order  The order that ends a marriage, formerly the decree absolute.

Financial remedy  The court process for dividing money and property on divorce.

Hybrid mediation  A model blending family and civil mediation that can involve lawyers. See hybrid mediation.

Impartiality  The mediator’s duty not to take sides, one of the principles of mediation.

Legal aid  Public funding that can make mediation free for those who qualify. See legal aid for mediation.

Mesher order  A deferred sale order allowing one parent to stay in the family home for a period.

No-fault divorce  The divorce process since April 2022, removing the need to assign blame.

Parental responsibility  The legal rights and duties a parent has for a child.

PPC  A Professional Practice Consultant who supervises a mediator’s casework.

Respondent  The person who responds to a court application.

Safeguarding  Checks a mediator carries out to make sure mediation is safe. See when mediation is not suitable.

Specific issue order  A court order deciding a single question, such as schooling.

Spousal maintenance  Income support between ex-spouses. See spousal maintenance.

TOLATA  The Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996, used for property disputes between unmarried couples.

Voucher scheme  The £500 government contribution towards mediation in child cases. See the voucher scheme.

Welfare checklist  The factors a court weighs when deciding what is best for a child.

What is a MIAM in simple terms?

A MIAM is a first meeting with a mediator that explains your options and checks whether mediation is right for you. Most people must attend one before applying to court.

What does NCDR mean?

Non-court dispute resolution: ways of settling a family dispute without a contested hearing, such as mediation, arbitration or collaborative law.

What is the difference between a MOU and a consent order?

A Memorandum of Understanding records what you agreed in mediation but is not binding. A consent order is approved by a judge and makes a financial agreement legally binding.