How much a MIAM costs
Key facts
- A MIAM typically costs between £100 and £150 per person, though prices vary by provider and region.
- Each person pays for their own MIAM; the meetings are separate.
- If you qualify for legal aid, your MIAM is free, and your mediation sessions are covered too.
- The £500 family mediation voucher does not cover the MIAM; it applies to mediation sessions in cases involving children.
- The fee usually includes the meeting, the assessment, and signing the court form if needed.
For most people, the MIAM is the first bill of the separation process, so it is fair to want to know the number before you book. In England and Wales a MIAM typically costs between £100 and £150 per person. Some services charge less, a few charge more, and if you qualify for legal aid you pay nothing at all. The meeting itself, a private hour with a mediator to explain your options and assess whether mediation could work, is described in our guide to what a MIAM is.
This page breaks down what the fee buys, who pays, the funding help available, and how the cost compares with going straight to court. There are two persistent myths to clear up along the way: that MIAMs are free (only true with legal aid), and that the government voucher pays for them (it does not).
The typical price, and why it varies
The £100 to £150 range covers most accredited services, whether the meeting happens in person or by video. Variation comes from the usual places: location (London and the south east tend to sit at the top of the range), the seniority of the mediator, and whether the service is a charity, a sole practitioner or a larger firm. Some not-for-profit services offer reduced rates for people on low incomes who narrowly miss legal aid.
Be a little wary of prices far outside the range in either direction. A very cheap MIAM may be with a mediator who cannot sign court forms, which defeats the purpose if you may need to apply to court. Only a mediator authorised by the Family Mediation Council can conduct a MIAM for court purposes, so check accreditation before price. Our page on mediator accreditation explains what the letters mean.
A much higher price sometimes reflects a bundled package, for example a MIAM plus the first joint session. That can be good value if you are confident mediation will go ahead, but you are paying for sessions you may not use if your ex declines.
What the fee includes
A MIAM fee normally covers more than the hour in the room. You are paying for the appointment itself, usually 45 to 60 minutes, the mediator’s assessment of suitability including domestic abuse screening, information about mediation and the alternatives, and the administrative work around the meeting. Importantly, it should also cover the mediator completing the MIAM section of your C100 or Form A if court turns out to be the route, and most services will contact your ex to invite them to their own MIAM as part of the process.
Check the small print on two points. First, whether signing the court form later carries an extra charge; most services include it, some charge a small administration fee, and it is better to know upfront. Second, how long the service keeps the file open. Because your signed form is valid for four months, a service that will complete the paperwork weeks after your meeting without re-charging is worth having.
The MIAM fee does not include joint mediation sessions, which are charged separately per session if you go ahead, nor documents such as a memorandum of understanding at the end of mediation. For how session numbers and costs stack up, see how many mediation sessions you are likely to need.
Who pays: you, your ex, or both?
Each of you pays for your own MIAM, because each of you attends your own separate meeting. There is no rule requiring the person who starts the process to pay for both, though nothing stops you offering if it removes a barrier to your ex attending. Mediation services will invoice each person individually.
If one of you qualifies for legal aid and the other does not, the legally aided person’s MIAM is free while the other pays privately. Funding is assessed per person, not per couple, which surprises many people. How the costs of full mediation are usually shared is a separate question, covered on who pays for mediation.
Legal aid: when the MIAM costs nothing
Legal aid remains available for family mediation, and it is means-tested: eligibility depends on your income and capital, not on the type of dispute. If you qualify, your MIAM costs nothing and your mediation sessions are covered as well. Helpfully, if one person qualifies, the first joint mediation session can be covered for both people, which often gets mediation started where money is tight on both sides.
To use legal aid you must go to a mediation service that holds a legal aid contract; not all do, so ask when you enquire. The service will assess your means, usually asking for evidence of benefits, income and savings, before confirming you qualify.
You can check your likely eligibility on the GOV.UK check if you can get legal aid tool before you book. Our page on legal aid for mediation walks through the means test and what is covered in more detail. There is also a free legal aid checker from Mediate UK that gives an instant indication of whether you are likely to qualify.
The £500 voucher does not cover the MIAM
The family mediation voucher scheme is a government contribution of up to £500 per family towards mediation, available in cases involving child arrangements. It is not means-tested, and the mediator applies for it on your behalf. It is genuinely useful money, but it applies to the joint mediation sessions that follow the MIAM, not to the MIAM itself. Everyone pays for their own MIAM first, then the voucher can reduce the cost of the sessions afterwards.
Two other limits are worth knowing. The voucher is one contribution per case, not £500 each. And a dispute that is only about finances does not qualify; there must be a child arrangements element. The full rules are on our family mediation voucher scheme page, and the wider costs section pulls all the funding options together.
Only mediators authorised by the Family Mediation Council can conduct a MIAM and apply the £500 voucher. The voucher money is paid directly to the mediator, so you never handle it: your invoice for the sessions is simply reduced.
MIAM cost against court costs
A MIAM looks less like an expense once you set it against the cost of the court route it may help you avoid. The table shows the headline court fees as of 13 July 2026; solicitor and barrister costs in contested proceedings come on top and usually dwarf them.
| Item | Cost (as of 13 July 2026) |
|---|---|
| MIAM (per person) | Typically £100 to £150; free with legal aid |
| C100 children application court fee | £270 |
| Contested financial order court fee (Form A) | £321 |
| Financial order by consent (after agreement) | £62 |
The bigger financial picture, including typical solicitor costs when a case fights through to a final hearing, is set out in mediation vs court costs. You can also run your own numbers with our mediation vs court calculator.
Comparing providers sensibly
Price is a fair thing to compare, but compare on the same basis. When you ring around, ask each service the same questions: is the mediator FMC accredited and able to sign court forms, is form signing included in the fee, how soon can you be seen, do they hold a legal aid contract, and can they apply the voucher if your case involves children. A service that answers all five clearly is usually a safe pair of hands.
The Family Mediation Council’s find a local mediator register is the standard starting point for finding accredited services near you, and every mediator on it is bound by the FMC’s code of practice. If speed matters, ask about video appointments; online MIAMs can often be booked within a few days.
Frequently asked questions
Is a MIAM ever free?
Yes, if you qualify for legal aid, which is means-tested on your income and capital. Otherwise a MIAM is a paid appointment, typically £100 to £150 per person. Some not-for-profit services offer reduced rates for people on low incomes who just miss the legal aid thresholds, so it is worth asking.
Does the £500 mediation voucher pay for my MIAM?
No. The family mediation voucher scheme contributes up to £500 per family towards joint mediation sessions in cases involving child arrangements. It does not cover the MIAM, and a finance-only dispute does not qualify for it. You pay for the MIAM first; the voucher then reduces the cost of sessions.
Do we pay one MIAM fee as a couple or one each?
One each. MIAMs are individual meetings, so each person books and pays for their own, and funding is assessed individually too. One of you can qualify for legal aid while the other pays privately. Nothing prevents one person offering to cover both fees if that helps mediation start.
Is paying for a MIAM worth it if my ex will refuse mediation anyway?
Usually yes, because if you are the one applying to court you need the MIAM (or an exemption) regardless of your ex’s attitude. If they decline the mediator’s invitation, the mediator signs your court form and the fee has bought you the confirmation your application requires, plus an hour of tailored information.
Are online MIAMs cheaper than in-person ones?
Not usually. Most services charge the same for video and in-person MIAMs because the mediator’s time and the assessment work are identical. The saving with an online MIAM is yours: no travel, no time off work beyond the hour, and typically a shorter wait for an appointment.
Sources
- GOV.UK: family mediation voucher scheme, the £500 contribution, eligibility and the fact it does not cover the MIAM (accessed July 2026).
- Family Mediation Council: mediation vouchers, how authorised mediators apply the voucher on a client’s behalf (accessed July 2026).
- GOV.UK: check if you can get legal aid, the means-test eligibility checker for free mediation and MIAMs (accessed July 2026).
- GOV.UK: legal aid for family mediation, confirmation that family mediation is within the scope of legal aid (accessed July 2026).
- GOV.UK: family court fees (EX50), the court fees in the comparison table, quoted as of 13 July 2026.
- Family Mediation Council: find a local mediator, the register of accredited mediators used to compare providers (accessed July 2026).