Mediation Fees

You do not have to pay for mediation if you are eligible for public funding.  We set out below information about our fees.

Public Funding

You may be eligible for publicly funded mediation even if you do not receive public funding to pay your lawyer’s fees.  To allow us to check whether you qualify, we need you to bring proof of your income to your first meeting. 

If you are eligible for public funding your first meeting, known as a MIAM (Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting) ,and any subsequent mediation will be free to you.

If you (or the partner with whom you live) are in receipt of Income Support, Income Based Job Seeker’s Allowance, Employment Support Allowance or Pension Credit, you are automatically entitled to free mediation.

Otherwise, we need to see proof of your income and savings to check whether you qualify for free mediation.  Income includes the wages of you and your partner, most state benefits (including child Benefit and tax credits), maintenance you receive for children living with you, and any other sources of income.      Some state benefits (for example Disability Living Allowance) are disregarded.
To calculate your disposable income, fixed deductions are made based on the number of your dependants, and an allowance for employment expenses.    Other allowances are made for tax, national insurance, maintenance paid by you, housing costs, and childcare costs incurred for work.

To assess your eligibility for public funding we need to see evidence of your income from all sources (for example a letter confirming benefits award or bank statement showing receipt of a specific benefit, tax credit grant, wage slips, business accounts).

If you are not eligible for Public Funding

MIAM

If you are not eligible for public funding, the cost of one person attending the MIAM will be £75 plus VAT – a total of £90 including VAT, or if you attend the MIAM with your former partner £140 plus VAT – a total of £168 including VAT per couple.

This fee can be paid by cash or debit/credit card and must be paid on the day of the MIAM.   

MEDIATION

The cost of mediation is £100 per hour plus VAT for each person.       Mediation meetings are usually for one hour and thirty minutes.    Therefore the cost for each person for a one hour thirty minute mediation meeting will be £180 inclusive of VAT.   

Fees for mediation sessions are paid on the day of the mediation meeting by cash or debit/credit card.

Whilst there is no fixed number of meetings, we find the average is as follows:

To discuss issues relating to children alone – 1 to 2 meetings (£180 to £360 inc VAT per person)

To discuss issues relating to financial and property matters alone – 3 to 4 meetings (£540 to £720 inc VAT per person)

To discuss all issues (children and financial and property matters) – 4 meetings (£720 inc VAT per person)

We do not charge for routine letters and/or telephone calls, however if we are required to prepare an interim summary for your solicitors in the mediation process or a detailed summary at the conclusion of the process with proposals, we will discuss the fee with you, but usually this will not exceed a further one to two hours work (£120 to £240 inc VAT per person) in addition to the meetings.

For more information please visit our mediation website www.bblfamilymediation.com