PRE-APPLICATION PROTOCOL FOR COURT

From Wednesday 6th April 2011 all potential applicants for a court order in relevant family proceedings will be expected to consider with a qualified mediator whether the dispute could be resolved through mediation (some exceptions apply).

The court will expect all applicants to comply before commencing proceedings and will expect any respondent to have attended a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting if invited to do so.

PROCESS

1. Mediation Information Assessment Meeting Prior to Application to Court

2. Attendance at MIAM Applicant and Attendance at MIAM Respondent  

3.  Mediation            OR         No Mediation

4.  Agreement          OR         Non-Agreement and Court - FM1 Form issued

MIAM Charges

There will be a charge for a MIAM when a client is not eligible for public funding.  A MIAM will last no more than 45 minutes and will be charged at £60 per client. This includes VAT.

A free first appointment for all clients (both eligible and non-eligible) will still be available for those that wish to pursue mediation without the need for court. If a non-eligible client subsequently requires us to provide and sign a Form FM1 they will need to pay an administration charge of £60.