Practical advice. Less conflict. Better outcomes.
The short answer to what is a MIAM: it is a short, one-off meeting with an accredited family mediator that you will usually need to attend before applying to the family court in England and Wales about children or finances. It explains mediation and your other options, checks whether mediation is safe and suitable for you, and gives you the confirmation the court asks for. Going to a MIAM does not commit you to mediating.
What is a MIAM?
If you are asking what is a MIAM, it is probably because someone has told you that you need one before you can go to court. MIAM stands for Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting. It is a single meeting with a mediator accredited by the Family Mediation Council (FMC), usually lasting around an hour, and it can often be held online.
A MIAM is not mediation itself. Nobody negotiates, nobody signs anything, and your ex is not normally in the room. You hear about ways of sorting things out without a judge, and the mediator checks whether mediation would be safe and workable for you.
The requirement comes from the Children and Families Act 2014, and the detailed rules sit in Part 3 of the Family Procedure Rules, tightened in April 2024. The idea is that before a judge decides anything, you both know about the quicker, less expensive ways to agree, including the alternatives to court that most separating couples use.
When you need a MIAM before applying to court
In England and Wales, most applications to the family court about children or money need a MIAM first, but not all of them.
Usually needs a MIAM
- Child arrangements, prohibited steps or specific issue orders, applied for on form C100
- Contested applications about money and property, known as financial remedy applications, made on Form A
Does not need a MIAM
- The divorce application itself
- A consent order, where you have already agreed the finances
- A non-molestation or occupation order to protect you from abuse
Both the C100 and Form A have a MIAM section. You either give details of the MIAM you attended, including the date, the mediator’s name and their FMC registration number, or tick the box for the exemption you are relying on and attach your evidence. The court checks this early, and a missing or wrongly completed section can hold your application up.
Only the person applying has to attend. The other person is invited to their own MIAM and is expected to go, but they cannot be made to. If they ignore the invitation, the mediator can still confirm that you attended, so their silence does not stop you applying.
What actually happens at a MIAM
Most MIAMs are held separately, so you speak to the mediator on your own. That helps if communicating with your ex has become difficult, because you can be honest without worrying about their reaction.
During the meeting, the mediator will usually:
- explain how mediation works, alongside other options such as solicitor negotiation, arbitration and collaborative law
- ask about your situation, including any concerns about domestic abuse or the children’s safety
- check whether you might qualify for help with the cost
- talk through whether mediation suits your case and what would happen next
What you say is confidential, and the mediator is impartial, so they will not take sides or give legal advice. There is a fuller walk-through in this guide to attending a MIAM, and if you go on to mediate, it helps to know what happens in the mediation room.
Key point
Attending a MIAM does not commit you to mediation. You are not agreeing to anything, and you will not be asked to negotiate. For most applications about children or finances, it is simply the step the court expects to see first.
Take a situation mediators see often. A mother has spent months trying to agree weekend arrangements, and her messages go unanswered. She books a MIAM, the mediator invites her ex to his own meeting, and he does not reply. A few weeks later she has the mediator’s confirmation and can apply, knowing mediation is still open if he changes his mind. If your ex will not engage at all, the advice on high-conflict divorce may help alongside this.
MIAM exemptions: when you can apply without one
In some situations a MIAM would be unsafe or unrealistic, so the rules include exemptions. The main ones cover:
- Domestic abuse, where you have evidence such as a protective court order, police involvement, or a letter from a GP or a domestic abuse support service
- Child protection concerns, where a child in the case is the subject of local authority enquiries or a child protection plan
- Urgency, such as a risk to someone’s safety, a risk of a child being taken out of the country, or significant financial hardship if you wait
- A recent MIAM, where you attended a MIAM or other non-court dispute resolution about the same dispute in the previous four months
- Other circumstances, for example if you are bankrupt and the case is about money, or bail conditions stop you contacting your ex
Since April 2024, courts look more closely at exemptions. Your evidence goes in with your application, and if the judge decides the exemption does not apply, you can be sent to a MIAM anyway, which adds delay. In financial cases, skipping a MIAM without good reason can also count against you when costs are decided.
If you are unsure whether an exemption fits, attending a MIAM is often quicker than relying on one that may not hold. If you are experiencing abuse but cannot yet provide evidence, you can still attend alone. The mediator will ask about safety, and mediation will not go ahead if it is not safe.
MIAM costs, legal aid and getting ready
MIAM fees vary between providers, so check what the fee covers before you book. If you meet the financial criteria for legal aid, your MIAM and any mediation that follows are free. Legal aid for mediation is means-tested, and you can check whether you might qualify on GOV.UK.
The family mediation voucher is a separate scheme, putting up to £500 towards mediation in cases involving arrangements for children (funded for 2026/27, as of September 2026). It does not cover the MIAM, and finance-only cases do not qualify.
A few things you can do today:
- Work out which application you are likely to make, and whether it needs a MIAM.
- Contact an FMC-accredited mediator and ask how soon they can see you, whether they offer online MIAMs and what the fee includes. A MIAM should normally take place within 15 business days of getting in touch.
- If you think an exemption applies, start gathering the evidence now.
- Use this free MIAM checklist to note your questions, your worries and what matters most to you about the children or the finances.
Common questions about MIAMs
Do we have to attend the MIAM together?
No. MIAMs are usually held separately. A joint MIAM is possible if you both want one and the mediator thinks it is safe.
Can I have a MIAM online?
Yes. Online MIAMs are widely available and suit most people. Since April 2024, the exemptions based on having no mediator nearby only apply if you cannot attend online either.
How long is a MIAM certificate valid?
A MIAM is generally treated as valid for four months for the same dispute. If more time passes before you apply, you may need another one, so book it when you are ready to act.
What if the mediator says mediation is not suitable?
The mediator can confirm your attendance and you can go ahead with your application. Solicitor negotiation or arbitration may still help, and some people return to mediation once things have settled.
A MIAM can feel like one more hoop when you are already worn out, and for some people it is exactly that: an hour that ends with the paperwork they need. For others, it is the first time anyone has set out their options clearly, and it changes what they do next. Either way, you leave knowing where you stand, and that counts for a lot when so much else is uncertain.