Going through a separation is hard enough without having to fight over every decision. Family Mediation gives you a calm, private space to sort out children, money and property with your ex-partner — guided by a trained, FMC-accredited mediator, not a courtroom.
Our family mediation service exists for exactly this moment: when talking things through with an ex-partner feels impossible on your own, but going straight to court feels like overkill. We sit in between, offering a structured, fair, and far less stressful way forward — no pressure, no point-scoring, just a route to an agreement you can both live with.
A family mediation service brings you and your former partner together with an independent mediator who helps you talk, work out what actually matters, and land on a fair agreement. It’s one of the most widely recommended ways to resolve disputes after separation, precisely because it puts the decisions back in your hands rather than a judge’s.
Your mediator won’t take sides or tell you what to do — that’s not their job. They keep the conversation on track so the two of you stay in control of the outcome. Because they stay neutral throughout, they can’t give either of you legal advice; most people still check in with their own solicitor along the way, which is exactly how good family law mediation is meant to work. Think of your mediator as the person managing the process, and your solicitor as the person managing your individual interests within it.
Family Mediation supports separating couples at every stage — married, in a civil partnership, or never married at all. We help parents agree child arrangements, sort out property and finances, and simply talk things through more calmly than they’d manage alone.
We also work closely with solicitors and accept referrals from other professionals supporting families through separation, including social workers and advice organisations. Whatever brought you here — a recent split, a long-running disagreement, or a court requirement to try mediation first — our family mediation service is built to meet you where you are.
Every case starts with an individual MIAM (Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting), where your mediator explains how things work and checks mediation is right for you.
From there, most couples need three to five joint sessions, around one to two hours each, either face-to-face in Staffordshire or online by video call. These sessions cover communication, arrangements for any children, and full financial disclosure — everything on the table before anyone signs anything. This is where family law mediation really earns its reputation: rather than two solicitors trading letters for months, you and your ex-partner work through the same issues directly, with support, in a fraction of the time.
Once you’ve both agreed a way forward, your mediator writes it up as a Memorandum of Understanding, along with a summary of the finances. You take that to your own solicitors for independent legal advice, and — if you’re still in agreement — they turn it into a legally binding consent order. That last step is what separates real family law mediation from a private chat between two people: everything is built to hold up once it leaves the room.
Based in Staffordshire or anywhere else in the country, it makes little difference — our mediation services for families in England run both face-to-face and online, with evening and weekend appointments so you’re not taking time off work just to move things forward.
If children are part of the conversation, our Child Inclusive Mediation service gives them a safe, age-appropriate way to be heard too — without ever putting them in the middle of a decision that isn’t theirs to make.
Going through a divorce specifically? Our Divorce Mediation Services in England page covers exactly what that process looks like, running alongside general family mediation rather than replacing it.
Planning to apply to court for a child arrangements order or a financial order? You’ll usually need to attend a MIAM first, and the court will want to see a signed certificate proving you did before your case can go ahead.
A few exemptions apply — domestic abuse and urgency being the main ones — and your mediator will talk you through whether either fits your situation. If mediation isn’t suitable, or doesn’t work out, we can issue the certificate so you’re free to proceed to court with confidence that you’ve explored every reasonable alternative first.
Family mediation rarely stops at one conversation — most families need a mix of support depending on their situation. Here’s where to go next:
Book your first assessment meeting and find out fast whether mediation is right for your case.
A safe way for children's views to be heard as part of the wider mediation process.
The same accredited service, delivered by secure video call, wherever you're based.
Specific support for couples working through the financial and practical side of divorce.
Our local office in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.
Most cases are resolved within three to five sessions, depending on the number and complexity of issues involved.
The agreement itself isn’t automatically binding, but it can be converted into a legally binding consent order through a solicitor.
In most cases, yes — a MIAM is required before applying for a child arrangements order or financial order, unless a valid exemption applies.
All of our mediators are accredited with the Family Mediation Council and follow its code of practice, so you’re working with a genuinely qualified professional at every stage.
Fees are charged per session, and many clients qualify for up to £500 towards costs through the Government’s mediation voucher scheme. Full pricing is on our Costs page.
Yes — alongside our Staffordshire office, we offer online family mediation so location is never a barrier to getting started.
familymediation.co.uk is the trading name of Staffordshire Mediation Limited
Get In Touch 01782 360028 or
info@familymediation.co.uk
familymediation.co.uk is the trading name of Staffordshire Mediation Limited