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MIAM · money

Do I need a MIAM for Form A?

Yes, in most cases: before applying for a financial order on Form A you must attend a MIAM, unless you are asking for a consent order or an exemption applies[1][2]. For financial remedy cases, the MIAM is confirmed in Form A itself, signed by the mediator[3], and it counts for 4 months[4].

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Last reviewed Sources checked

Prepare with MiamSee the sources
Form A court fee[5]
Consent order fee, no MIAM needed[6]
Typical MIAM cost, each[7]
Apply within[4]

01/ Which applications

Which money applications need a MIAM

The MIAM requirement covers the financial remedy proceedings that Practice Direction 3A lists[10]:

  • financial orders on divorce or dissolution: maintenance pending suit, periodical payments, lump sums, property adjustment and pension sharing[2];
  • financial provision for children under Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989[2];
  • orders for failure to maintain[2].

A MIAM is not required for a consent order, or to enforce an existing order or agreement[2]. See consent orders.

02/ Form A

The MIAM sections of Form A

Form A (05.26) asks at question 2a whether you attended a MIAM and at 2b whether you are claiming an exemption; if the answer to both is no, the form says "you cannot make this application to court"[1].

Section 3 is for exemptions: 3a domestic abuse, 3b urgency, 3c previous attendance and 3d other grounds, with evidence sent alongside the application and a box to explain if you cannot provide it[3]. Section 4 is completed and signed by the mediator if you attended[3]. The mediator ticks whether only you, or each of you, attended a separate MIAM, and why mediation is not going ahead, which can include that your ex has not attended[1].

There is no separate MIAM certificate for money cases: Form FM1 goes with Forms C1 and C2, while Form A carries its own MIAM sections[11]. See MIAM certificate.

You answer yes at 2a, and the mediator completes and signs section 4[1][3]. The MIAM must be within the 4 months before you apply[1].

03/ Exemptions

Exemptions in money cases

The exemptions are in rule 3.8 of the Family Procedure Rules[14]. Form A groups them under four headings[3]:

  • Domestic abuse, with evidence in one of the forms Practice Direction 3A lists, which include evidence of financial abuse[15].
  • Urgency, including where delay would cause significant financial hardship or the irretrievable loss of significant evidence[16].
  • Previous attendance at a MIAM or non-court dispute resolution in the last 4 months, or continuing proceedings you started after a MIAM[1][17].
  • Other grounds, including applications without notice and the access and prison exemptions; the rules also list bankruptcy, for financial applications only[18][19][20][21].

For bankruptcy, the evidence is your application for a bankruptcy order, a creditor's petition or the bankruptcy order itself[22]. See MIAM exemptions.

04/ Before you apply

What the court expects before you apply

Advicenow sums up the steps: as long as it is safe, go to a MIAM, try at least one non-court way of agreeing, share financial information openly, and tell the court and your ex what you have tried on Form FM5[23]. Your ex should go to their own MIAM too[23].

The pre-application protocol asks you to try voluntary disclosure and negotiation where possible, using Form E as a guide[24]. GOV.UK says getting the court to decide usually takes longer and costs more than agreeing[25]. See financial disclosure.

Before you send Form A

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05/ After you apply

What happens after Form A

See the stages below.

  1. If you claimed an exemption, the court checks it and can tell you to go to a MIAM[28][13].

06/ Without a MIAM

If you apply without a MIAM

If you apply without a MIAM or a valid exemption, the court can direct you, or both of you, to attend one and adjourn the case[32][33].

In financial remedy cases the court can take a party's failure, without good reason, to attend a MIAM or non-court dispute resolution into account when it decides costs[34]. The general rule is that the court does not order one party to pay the other's costs, but it may do so because of a party's conduct[35].

Advicenow says the court can also delay or dismiss an application where the process has not been followed, though costs orders of that kind are not common[23].

07/ Timing

When to apply for a financial order

You can apply for a financial order when you apply for divorce or at any time after; GOV.UK says it is usually simpler after the conditional order and before the final order[25]. Applying after the final order may have financial consequences, particularly for pensions[25].

If you were not the applicant in the divorce, Advicenow says your own Form A must be issued before you remarry or enter a new civil partnership[28]. See how to get a divorce for the divorce stages.

08/ Paying

Paying for the MIAM and the court

A MIAM typically costs £120–£150 per person[7], and it is free if either of you qualifies for legal aid[36]. Legal aid for mediation is means-tested[37].

The mediation voucher is for disputes about children, or financial disputes running alongside a children dispute[38]. Legal aid is not available for most private finance disputes; the main exception is where you are, or are at risk of being, a victim of domestic abuse, including financial abuse[39].

Court fee · fee 5.4

£321

in force from 13 July 2026

Fees 5.4 and 5.1 of the Family Proceedings Fees Order 2008 as amended, in force since 13 July 2026[5][6]. Help with Fees can reduce a fee on a low income or benefits[27].

Estimate only. Beta service. Always check with official government websites. Check Help with Fees on GOV.UK.

09/ Questions

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a MIAM for Form A?

Yes, unless you are applying for a consent order or an exemption applies[1].

Do I need a MIAM for a consent order?

No. A MIAM is not required for a consent order[2].

Does my ex have to attend a MIAM too?

They are expected to attend their own, but the rules do not require it[40][41].

How long is a MIAM valid for a financial order?

You can rely on a MIAM attended in the 4 months before your Form A[1].

Can I claim a MIAM exemption because of financial hardship?

The urgency exemption covers cases where delay caused by attending a MIAM would cause significant financial hardship[16]. The court checks it[13].

What if I apply without a MIAM?

The court can direct a MIAM and adjourn the case, and it can take a failure to attend without good reason into account on costs[32][34].

Do I need a MIAM to get divorced?

No. The MIAM requirement does not cover the divorce application itself[32].

10/ Sources

Sources we checked

  1. Form A (05.26), PDF — HMCTS
  2. Practice Direction 3A — Ministry of Justice
  3. Form A (05.26), PDF — HMCTS · Form A: notice of intention to proceed with a financial order — GOV.UK
  4. FPR Part 3, r3.8(1)(d)
  5. The Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026 (SI 2026/642), Schedule 3 — legislation.gov.uk
  6. The Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026 (SI 2026/642), Schedule 3 — legislation.gov.uk
  7. GOV.UK — mediation · FMC State of Family Mediation 2025 (PDF)
  8. FMC MIAM Standards (Aug 2022) PDF
  9. GOV.UK — mediation · FPR r3.9
  10. Family Procedure Rules, Part 3 — Ministry of Justice · Practice Direction 3A — Ministry of Justice
  11. GOV.UK — Form FM1 · FM1 (04.24) PDF
  12. Practice Direction 3A — Ministry of Justice
  13. Family Procedure Rules, Part 3 — Ministry of Justice · Practice Direction 3A — Ministry of Justice
  14. FPR Part 3 · PD3A
  15. FPR r3.8 · PD3A
  16. Family Procedure Rules 2010, rule 3.8 — legislation.gov.uk
  17. FPR r3.8
  18. FPR r3.8
  19. Family Procedure Rules 2010, rule 3.8 (as amended) — legislation.gov.uk · Practice Direction 3A — Ministry of Justice
  20. Family Procedure Rules 2010, rule 3.8 (as amended) — legislation.gov.uk
  21. FPR r3.8
  22. Practice Direction 3A — Ministry of Justice
  23. Before applying for a financial order: the process to follow — Advicenow
  24. Practice Direction 9A and pre-application protocol — justice.gov.uk
  25. Money and property when you divorce or separate: get the court to decide — GOV.UK
  26. Form E (01.23): schedule of documents, PDF — HMCTS
  27. GOV.UK — Get help with court fees
  28. How to apply for a financial order without a lawyer — Advicenow
  29. Family Procedure Rules, Part 9, rules 9.14–9.15 — justice.gov.uk
  30. Money and property when you divorce or separate: get the court to decide (printable guide) — GOV.UK
  31. Practice Direction 3A — Ministry of Justice
  32. Practice Direction 3A, paras 1, 11–13 and 37 — justice.gov.uk · What to do before applying for a financial order when you get divorced — Advicenow
  33. FPR Part 3, r3.10
  34. justice.gov.uk FPR updates · SI 2023/1324
  35. Practice Direction 9A, paras 3.3–3.4 and protocol para 25 — justice.gov.uk
  36. GOV.UK — mediation
  37. Check if you can get legal aid — GOV.UK
  38. GOV.UK — voucher scheme guidance · Practice Direction 36V — justice.gov.uk
  39. Sorting out Finances on Divorce: financial help (March 2024) — Family Justice Council
  40. Practice Direction 3A — Ministry of Justice
  41. The State of Family Mediation 2025 — Family Mediation Council

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