Voucher Eligibility Checker: does the £500 scheme apply to you?
Reviewed and fact-checked by Chris Yaffes, FMC-accredited family mediator (FMC URN 0961A)Last reviewed 3 July 2026. Questions and results checked against the live gov.uk Family Mediation Voucher Scheme guidance on that date.
The government’s Family Mediation Voucher Scheme puts up to £500 towards joint mediation sessions, whatever you earn. Not every case qualifies, though. Answer three quick questions below for an instant answer, with no email address and nothing stored.
Free tool · 30 seconds
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No problem. The quick version: the voucher applies in England and Wales, to cases involving arrangements for children, where both of you are willing to try mediation. Read the full rules in our voucher scheme guide.
Question 1 of 3
Do you live in England or Wales?
The scheme is funded by the Ministry of Justice and covers England and Wales only.
What do you need to sort out?
The voucher is for cases involving children. Money and property can be included alongside a children case.
Are you both open to trying mediation?
Mediation is voluntary, so the voucher only comes into play when both of you take part.
Your result
Good news: your case looks eligible for the £500 voucher
Based on your answers, your case fits the scheme’s criteria: England and Wales, involving children, with both of you willing to mediate. Here is what to do next.
Book a MIAM. This first meeting is the doorway to the scheme. A typical online MIAM costs around £138, and it is free for both of you where either qualifies for legal aid.
Tell the mediator you want the voucher. They confirm eligibility at the MIAM and apply for you. There is no form for you to fill in and no physical voucher.
Start joint mediation. The £500 is paid direct to the mediator and covers at least your first joint session, depending on session length and rates. It is not means tested, and it is one voucher per case.
This is a guide, not a guarantee. Your mediator makes the final eligibility check at your MIAM. Full rules: our voucher scheme guide.
Your result
Likely eligible, with one thing still to settle
Your case fits the scheme on location and children. The missing piece is the other person’s agreement, and that often changes after a MIAM. Book yours, and the mediator will invite them to their own meeting to hear how it works, with no commitment.
If they say yes, the voucher route opens up exactly as normal. If they refuse, the mediator signs your court form and you can still apply to court.
Not right now: the voucher needs both of you on board
The voucher funds joint mediation sessions, and mediation is voluntary, so it cannot be used where one of you is firmly against taking part. That can change, and mediators are good at explaining the options in a way that softens a flat no.
Not eligible: the voucher is for cases involving children
The scheme does not cover disputes that are only about money or property. If your case also involved arrangements for children, it would qualify, and one voucher covers the whole case.
You still have good funding options. Legal aid makes mediation free where either of you qualifies, including financial cases. Start with our legal aid guide and the full cost breakdown.
Not eligible: the scheme covers England and Wales only
The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme is funded by the Ministry of Justice for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own family justice systems with separate support schemes, so it is worth checking what help is available where you live.
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you click is stored or sent anywhere. Criteria checked against gov.uk on 3 July 2026.
Why use this checker?
30 seconds, no sign-up
Three questions, instant answer. No email address, no account, nothing stored.
Built on the official rules
Every question maps to the gov.uk scheme criteria, checked on the date shown above, not from memory.
A clear next step
Whatever your result, you leave knowing exactly what to do next, including the free routes.
How the voucher works in 60 seconds
The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme contributes up to £500 towards joint mediation sessions in cases involving children. It is not means tested, there is one voucher per case, and your mediator applies for it, with the money paid direct to them. It will usually cover at least your first joint session, depending on session length and rates.
Two things it never does: it never pays for the MIAM, and it never turns into cash in your pocket. It also stacks well with legal aid: where one of you qualifies, the MIAM and first joint session are free for both of you, and the private payer then gets the full £500 towards the sessions after that. The complete picture is in our voucher scheme guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is the checker’s result guaranteed?
No. It is a reliable guide based on the published criteria, but the formal eligibility check is made by your mediator at the MIAM, and vouchers depend on scheme funding being available.
Can the voucher pay for my MIAM?
No. The voucher is restricted to joint mediation sessions. You pay for the MIAM first, unless legal aid makes it free for you both.
Is the voucher means tested?
No. You can get it whatever you earn. It is one voucher of up to £500 per case, shared between you, not one each.
Do we both need to attend a MIAM before using the voucher?
Yes. Both of you attend a MIAM before joint mediation starts. The meetings are separate, and here is what each one covers.
Sources
Ministry of Justice, Family Mediation Voucher Scheme guidance, gov.uk. Accessed 3 July 2026.
GOV.UK, Making child arrangements if you divorce or separate: mediation, gov.uk. Accessed 3 July 2026.
