What is a MIAM and do you need one before applying to court about a child?
A MIAM is a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting with an authorised family mediator. The rules say you must usually attend one before you apply to court about a child, unless an exemption applies.
- Starting a case
- Responding to a case
How long it takes, and what it would cost
- On your own
- Several evenings of reading
- With Wren
- About 15 minutes
- Solicitor to get started
- £250 to £4901 to 2 hours
Times and hours are Wren’s estimates for a typical case, not quotes. Solicitor costs are those hours at £247 an hour, the courts’ guideline rate for a solicitor with over four years’ experience, outside London (GOV.UK, Solicitors' guideline hourly rates (in effect from 1 January 2026)). The guideline runs from £200 to £295 an hour outside London depending on experience, firms set their own rates, and VAT is added on top.
What a MIAM is
A MIAM is a first meeting with a family mediator. It is not mediation itself.
The mediator explains how mediation and other ways of agreeing outside court work. They also assess whether there is a risk of domestic abuse or harm to a child. They then say which options might suit your situation.
Only a mediator authorised by the Family Mediation Council can hold a MIAM.
Who has to go
The person applying to court must attend a MIAM before making most applications about a child. This covers child arrangements, prohibited steps and specific issue orders, and some others such as parental responsibility.
The other person (the respondent) is strongly encouraged and expected to attend, but the rules do not require it before an application is made.
If the other person will not attend, you can still go to your own MIAM and then apply. The C100 form must show either that you attended a MIAM or that an exemption applies.
When you may not need a MIAM
The rules list exemptions. You must be ready to explain to the court why one applies. Where evidence is needed, it goes in with your application. It does not need to be served on the other party.
- You are applying for a consent order (an order you have both agreed).
- The child is already in care, supervision or emergency proceedings, or under one of those orders.
- You have evidence of domestic abuse of a type listed in the rules.
- A child in the application is the subject of local authority enquiries under section 47 or a child protection plan.
- The application is urgent. Examples include a risk to someone's life or safety, or a risk a child will be taken out of the UK.
- You attended a MIAM, or another form of non-court dispute resolution, about the same dispute in the last 4 months.
- The application is being made without notice to the other person.
- You cannot attend online and no authorised mediator is available within 15 miles, or none can see you within 15 working days.
- You are in prison, or bail or licence conditions stop contact with the other person.
- A child is one of the parties.
How to arrange one
It is the applicant's job to contact a family mediator to book a MIAM. You can find a local mediator on the Family Mediation Council website.
You can give the mediator the other person's contact details so they can invite them. The MIAM can be joint if you both agree and the mediator thinks it is safe. Otherwise you attend separately.
The rules say a MIAM should be held within 15 working days of contacting the mediator. After the meeting, the mediator signs a form showing you attended.
What it costs
GOV.UK says the usual cost of a MIAM is around £120, but it depends on the mediator.
If either of you qualifies for legal aid, legal aid can cover the MIAM costs for both of you. If neither of you is eligible, the person attending pays the mediator.
The government mediation voucher, worth up to £500, cannot be used for the MIAM. It can only be used towards mediation sessions.
If there has been domestic abuse
The rules say victims of domestic abuse are not expected to mediate or take part in non-court dispute resolution. Evidence of domestic abuse is one of the MIAM exemptions.
If you or a child are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. You do not have to reveal your address or contact details to the other party. You can tell the court on Form C8 and they will not be shared unless the court directs.
What the court does with your MIAM information
When you claim an exemption, the court still issues your application but checks the exemption. If the court decides it was not validly claimed, it can direct you, or both of you, to attend a MIAM. It may adjourn the case while that happens.
What is said in mediation is confidential. Neither of you can tell the court what was discussed or why you did not agree.
Key dates
- Within 15 working days of contacting the mediatorThe rules say the MIAM should take place within this time.Source: PD12B Annex 1 (MIAM); PD12B (Pilot) Annex 1 (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Within 4 months before applyingA MIAM or non-court dispute resolution about the same dispute in this period can count as an exemption.Source: r 3.8(1)(d)(i) (external source, opens in a new tab)
- When you applyThe C100 must confirm MIAM attendance or claim an exemption, with any evidence attached.Source: PD12B para 8.3 (external source, opens in a new tab)
Get organised with Wren Family
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Common questions
Do I need a MIAM if the other parent refuses to go?
The applicant still needs to attend their own MIAM unless an exemption applies. GOV.UK says that if you attend and your ex-partner does not, you can still apply to court.
Is a MIAM the same as mediation?
No. A MIAM is a first meeting where the mediator explains the options and checks whether mediation is safe and suitable. Mediation itself would happen in later sessions if you both choose it.
Do I need a MIAM if there has been domestic abuse?
Not usually. Evidence of domestic abuse of a type listed in the rules is an exemption. You attach the evidence to your application.
How much does a MIAM cost?
GOV.UK says it is usually around £120, depending on the mediator. It is free if either of you qualifies for legal aid. The £500 mediation voucher does not cover it.
What happens if the court says my exemption does not apply?
The court can direct you, or both parties, to attend a MIAM. It may adjourn the case until that has happened.
Where these facts come from
These are the official rules and pages this page is based on. They are listed so you can check a detail for yourself; you do not need them to use Wren. They are outside Wren and open in a new tab.
- GOV.UK: Making child arrangements, apply for a court order (external source, opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Making child arrangements, make an agreement through mediation (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Apply to court about child arrangements: valid reasons not to attend a MIAM (external source, opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Domestic abuse, how to get help (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Practice Direction 12B (Child Arrangements Programme) (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Family Procedure Rules 2010, Part 3 (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Practice Direction 3A (MIAMs) (external source, opens in a new tab)