If you qualify for Legal Aid then everything will be free. Most people in receipt of Universal Credit will be eligible for Legal Aid. (Provided through AIM Mediation Ltd)
During our initial telephone conversation we will be able to give you an indication of whether you will be eligible for legal aid or not. This will then be followed up with a formal eligibility test at your one to one Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM).
You can also use this link to the Community Legal Service Fund Financial Eligibility Calculator to check whether you qualify or not.
If you are not eligible for legal aid then you will be subject to our private fees, these are inclusive, which means you are not charged additionally for; letters, phone calls etc.
We do not charge VAT, so the prices you see here are the prices that you pay. Please note you are individually responsible for your fees only.
The standard charge for a MIAM is £100 per person per meeting, but if you are eligible for legal aid then the initial meeting will be free for you! In addition the first joint mediation session will be covered by legal aid for you both, whether or not the other person is eligible for legal aid. This fee covers the MIAM, liaising with the other person and for issuing a mediation certificate.
If neither of you are eligible, then you will each have to pay the standard charge for a MIAM. This includes the cost of the ‘mediation certificate’ for Forms C100, FM1 or Form A should you need these.
For joint mediation sessions the charge is £125 per person per session for a standard 60 minute session. If you are eligible for legal aid then the sessions will be free. If one person has legal aid and the other is not, then the legal aid will cover the cost of the first joint session for both parties. There is also additional government funding available to support private fees of up to £500 in mediations about child arrangements.
To give a general indication of the number of sessions that will be needed: for children’s issues 1-2 sessions will be required, for financial issues 2-3 sessions, for both 3-4 sessions. Complicated and highly conflicted cases may need additional sessions.
The fees for your final documents vary depending on whether you are divorcing or not. For a divorce we will be producing an Open Statement of Financial Information and a Memorandum of Understanding for you, the fee for these is £175 per person per document. For other matters the fee for an Outcome Statement is £100 per person.
You can agree between you to share the fees however you like. Fees are paid in advance of any meeting / drafting and in stages as you move through the process.