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Family mediation in Cardiff

For family mediation in Cardiff, search the Family Mediation Council register by postcode for mediators qualified to sign court forms[1]. The MIAM rule is the same in Wales as in England[2][3]. The Cardiff family court is the Cardiff Civil and Family Justice Centre[4], and the children's adviser there is Cafcass Cymru, not Cafcass[5].

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Typical MIAM, each[6]
To apply after your MIAM[7]
Mediation voucher[8]

01/ Mediators

Authorised mediators in Cardiff

We list a mediator here only after checking their entry on the Family Mediation Council register, and we have not finished that check for Cardiff. Until we have, search the register yourself by postcode, and tick “qualified to sign court forms” to see the mediators who can run a MIAM and sign the confirmation.[1]

Search the FMC register

02/ The law in Wales

The MIAM rules are the same in Wales

The duty to attend a MIAM before applying to court comes from section 10 of the Children and Families Act 2014, which extends to England and Wales[2]. Cafcass Cymru tells parents in Wales the same thing: attend a MIAM first unless an exemption applies[3].

So a Cardiff C100 needs either an authorised mediator's confirmation that you attended or a claimed exemption[11], and a MIAM counts for an application made within 4 months of it[7]. See is a MIAM compulsory?.

03/ The court

Cardiff family court: address and work

Cardiff Civil and Family Justice Centre is at 2 Park Street, Cardiff CF10 1ET[4]. The court finder lists childcare arrangements after separation, domestic abuse and adoption among the work it handles, and gives a Welsh language helpline for Welsh speakers with civil and family matters[4].

You would normally start a children case online or with Form C100[12]. HMCTS says applying online avoids delay, and a paper C100 goes to the designated family centre for the child's area[13]. The court then sends the application to Cafcass or Cafcass Cymru[14]. See the C100 form.

04/ Cafcass Cymru

In Wales, the court adviser is Cafcass Cymru

Cafcass Cymru is part of the Welsh Government and speaks up for children in Wales in the family justice system[5]. It becomes involved only when the court asks, gives no legal advice and does not do mediation[5].

Cafcass Cymru says every family court in Wales now follows the Pathfinder approach[15], now called Child Focused Courts and in place across all of Wales[16]. After an application arrives, the court usually asks Cafcass Cymru for a Child Impact Report: it runs safety checks with the police and local authorities, talks with both adults and usually with the children, and, where safe, helps the family agree[15].

Where the court wants parents to learn to plan together, the Welsh course is Working Together for Children, run free of charge by trained independent providers rather than Cafcass Cymru[17]; England's equivalent is Planning Together for Children[18]. See what happens after a C100.

05/ Cymraeg

Using Welsh

Anyone taking part in legal proceedings in Wales may speak Welsh, with interpretation provided, although courts other than magistrates' courts can ask for notice first[19]. The C100 has a section on attending court that asks about Welsh[20], and Cafcass Cymru provides its service in Welsh and English[21].

The FMC register's filters cover distance, court forms, legal aid, children and online mediation[1][22], so if you would like your MIAM in Welsh, ask the mediator when you contact them.

06/ Paying for it

Legal aid and the voucher in Wales

Legal aid and the voucher scheme work the same way in Wales: the voucher guidance applies to England and Wales[23], and the government's legal aid finder covers providers in both[24]. The MIAM is free if either of you qualifies for legal aid[25], which is means-tested[26]. For children disputes, the voucher offers up to £500 towards mediation sessions[8], not the MIAM[27]. See legal aid mediation.

07/ By video

A MIAM by video

The FMC lets mediators hold MIAMs in person or by video, and by telephone only when there is no other option[28]. If there is no authorised mediator with an office within 15 miles of home and you cannot attend online either, an access exemption may apply[29]; the court decides[30]. See online MIAM.

08/ Divorce and money

Divorce mediation in Cardiff

Mediation can cover the money side of a divorce: how to split property, pensions, savings and investments, with a neutral mediator[31]. You need a MIAM before most financial order applications, but not for a consent order[32].

After the MIAM, sessions typically cost £130–£170 per person per hour[33]. What you agree is written up as proposals that bind no one until you have had legal advice[34]; to make it legally binding you ask a court to approve a consent order[31]. See divorce mediation.

09/ Lawyers and mediators

Do you need a family mediation lawyer in Cardiff?

Not to mediate. The mediator is neutral, gives no advice[35] and must tell you the advantages of getting independent legal advice before a final agreement[36]. A mediator signs your court form because they hold FMC accreditation, not because of any other qualification[37].

A lawyer can help alongside mediation, or instead of it: solicitor negotiation and collaborative law are both listed ways to agree without court[38], and a solicitor normally drafts the consent order[39]. Legal aid for a lawyer in most private family cases needs evidence of domestic abuse or child protection[40].

10/ Questions

Frequently asked questions

Are MIAM rules different in Wales?

No. The MIAM requirement in section 10 of the Children and Families Act 2014 applies across England and Wales[2], and Cafcass Cymru tells parents to attend a MIAM before applying unless an exemption applies[3].

Where is Cardiff family court?

The court finder lists the Cardiff Civil and Family Justice Centre, 2 Park Street, Cardiff CF10 1ET, for childcare arrangements and domestic abuse cases[4].

Is it Cafcass or Cafcass Cymru in Cardiff?

Cafcass Cymru. It works with children in Wales in family court cases, only when the court asks it to[5].

Can I use Welsh at the family court?

Yes. Anyone in legal proceedings in Wales may speak Welsh, subject to any notice the court rules require[19], and the C100 asks about Welsh[20].

Can mediation sort out money in a divorce?

Yes. A mediator can help you agree how to split property, pensions and savings, and a court-approved consent order makes it binding[31].

Do I need a lawyer for family mediation?

No, but the mediator will explain the benefits of independent legal advice before any final agreement[36].

11/ Sources

Sources we checked

  1. Find your local mediator — Family Mediation Council
  2. Children and Families Act 2014, section 10 — legislation.gov.uk
  3. Information for parents and carers (private law cases) — Cafcass Cymru, GOV.WALES
  4. Cardiff Civil and Family Justice Centre — Find a court or tribunal, GOV.UK
  5. Information about separated parents — Cafcass Cymru, GOV.WALES · What we do — Cafcass Cymru, GOV.WALES · Information for parents and carers (private law cases) — Cafcass Cymru, GOV.WALES
  6. GOV.UK — mediation · FMC State of Family Mediation 2025 (PDF)
  7. FPR Part 3, r3.8(1)(d)
  8. GOV.UK — Family Mediation Voucher Scheme · GOV.UK news, May 2026
  9. FMC MIAM Standards (Aug 2022) PDF
  10. GOV.UK — mediation · FPR r3.9
  11. FPR Part 3, r3.7
  12. GOV.UK — Form C100
  13. Form C100 publication page — HMCTS, GOV.UK
  14. Practice Direction 12B, paras 8.7–8.9 — Child Arrangements Programme, justice.gov.uk
  15. Information for parents and carers (private law cases) — Cafcass Cymru, GOV.WALES
  16. Children to get swifter justice as new family court approach expands nationally — Ministry of Justice, GOV.UK (17 March 2026)
  17. Information for parents and carers (private law cases) — Cafcass Cymru, GOV.WALES
  18. Help in Planning Together for Children — Cafcass
  19. Welsh Language Act 1993, section 22 — legislation.gov.uk
  20. Form C100 (06.26), PDF — HMCTS
  21. Practice Framework: Putting Children First (July 2024), PDF — Cafcass Cymru, GOV.WALES
  22. Find your local mediator — Family Mediation Council
  23. Family Mediation Voucher Scheme — Ministry of Justice, GOV.UK
  24. Find a legal aid adviser or family mediator — GOV.UK
  25. GOV.UK — mediation
  26. Check if you can get legal aid — GOV.UK
  27. GOV.UK — mediation · FMC — Mediation vouchers
  28. GOV.UK — Form C100 page · FMC MIAM Standards (Aug 2022) PDF
  29. Family Procedure Rules 2010, rule 3.8 — legislation.gov.uk · Form FM1 (04.24), PDF — HMCTS
  30. FPR Part 3, r3.10
  31. Get help agreeing (Money and property when you divorce or separate) — GOV.UK
  32. Practice Direction 3A — Ministry of Justice
  33. FMC — What does mediation cost?
  34. Helping participants realise an enduring outcome to family mediation — Family Mediation Council
  35. Code of Practice for Family Mediators (v1.5, August 2025) — Family Mediation Council
  36. Code of Practice for Family Mediators (v1.5, August 2025) — Family Mediation Council
  37. Form FM1 (04.24), notes — HMCTS
  38. Other ways to agree without going to court — GOV.UK
  39. Make an agreement through mediation: what happens next and legal aid — GOV.UK
  40. Evidence requirements for private family law matters, version 15 (15 June 2026) — Legal Aid Agency · Sample letters to get evidence of domestic abuse — Legal Aid Agency, GOV.UK · Legal aid: domestic abuse — GOV.UK

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