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Mediation · separate rooms

Shuttle mediation: mediating in separate rooms

Shuttle mediation is family mediation in which you and the other parent stay in separate rooms, in person or online, and the mediator moves between you, carrying information and proposals[1][2]. It is used when meeting face to face feels too hard or unsafe, but it does not on its own make mediation safe[3].

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You and the other parent do not meet[1]
In separate virtual rooms[2]
Can fund shuttle sessions[4]
Voucher-scheme families who mediated online, shuttle included (MoJ, 2023)[5]

01/ What it is

What shuttle mediation is

In shuttle mediation the two people do not sit in the same room[1]. The mediator moves between separate rooms, relaying information and proposals back and forth[1]. It can also happen online, with each of you in a separate virtual room[2].

GOV.UK says you do not have to be in the same room, or on the same call, as your ex-partner[6]. Deciding whether you work in the same or separate spaces is one of the ways a mediator can adapt the process[7]. For legal aid purposes, the Legal Aid Agency counts both of you attending at the same time in separate rooms as shuttle mediation[4].

02/ Step by step

How shuttle mediation works

  1. You each have your own MIAM with the mediator, separately[8]. Mediation itself does not normally follow straight after a MIAM[9].
  2. At the MIAM the mediator assesses safety and suitability and decides on safeguards, such as separate rooms and separate arrival and departure times[3].
  3. Before mediation starts, you both sign an Agreement to Mediate setting out how it works[7].
  4. On the day, the mediator moves between your rooms, passing on information and proposals[1].
  5. When you reach agreement, the mediator puts it in writing[10]. That document is often called a Memorandum of Understanding[7].

03/ When it is used

When shuttle mediation is used

National Family Mediation says it is used where emotions are high or conflict could escalate face to face, where there are safety concerns or intimidation, or where distress makes talking directly too hard[1].

The FMC says the mediator usually sees you together, but you should be offered the choice to see the mediator separately if you need to[10]. If you cannot face seeing the other parent, ask about separate rooms or separate virtual rooms at your MIAM[2].

04/ Its limits

Shuttle mediation and domestic abuse

Separate rooms are not the same as safety: the FMC's guidance tells mediators that shuttle mediation does not necessarily make mediation safe, and that where there is a risk of re-traumatisation after earlier abuse, mediation is likely not to be suitable[3].

Mediators must take into account domestic abuse of all kinds, including coercive and controlling, emotional, financial and sexual abuse[11]. If abuse is disclosed or suspected, the mediator must talk through the risk with you so you can decide whether it is safe to take part; if they assess mediation as not safe, they must not mediate[12].

Where mediation does go ahead, the mediator must take steps to keep you safe on arrival, during and on departure, and must end the mediation if it is no longer safe[12].

You may not need a MIAM at all if you have evidence of domestic abuse in one of the forms the rules list[13]. See MIAM exemptions, when mediation is not suitable and domestic abuse support. See the support lines below.

05/ Online

Online shuttle mediation

Shuttle mediation can run online, with each of you in a separate virtual room[2]. The Legal Aid Agency accepts video for assessment meetings and mediation[4].

In the Ministry of Justice's analysis of the voucher scheme, 88% of families mediated online, a figure that included shuttle mediation[5]. For a MIAM by video, mediators use extra safeguards, such as seeing the room or asking you to confirm you have privacy[14]. More on online MIAMs.

06/ Pros and cons

What shuttle mediation can and cannot do

Shuttle mediation compared with meeting in one room
What National Family Mediation says
TensionKeeping you apart reduces tension and lets each of you say what you need without direct confrontation[1].
TimeIt can take longer than face-to-face mediation, because the mediator relays everything[1].
CostThe extra time can mean higher costs[1].
CommunicationNon-verbal cues are lost, and messages can be misread or diluted[1].

07/ Cost

What shuttle mediation costs

Mediation charges vary with where the mediator is based and the issues to be discussed, and the mediator can estimate the likely total at the first meeting[15]. As a guide, the FMC says mediation sessions cost around £130–£170 per person per hour, including drafting documents[16]. Because shuttle mediation can take longer, it can cost more[1].

Legal aid can fund shuttle sessions[4]. If your dispute is about children, the voucher scheme can contribute up to £500 towards mediation sessions[17][18]. See mediation cost and legal aid for mediation.

08/ Afterwards

After shuttle mediation

An agreement reached in shuttle mediation is not legally binding on its own, but you can ask a court to make it into a consent order[10]. It is in your own interests to take independent legal advice before you reach a final agreement[19].

If mediation does not go ahead or does not work, and you apply to court, the mediator can sign your court form as long as you attended the MIAM within the last 4 months[21]. See Form C100 and how long mediation takes.

09/ Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is shuttle mediation?

Mediation where you and the other parent stay in separate rooms and the mediator moves between you, relaying information and proposals[1].

Can shuttle mediation be done online?

Yes. Mediation can take place online with each of you in a separate virtual room[2].

Is shuttle mediation safe if there has been domestic abuse?

Not automatically. The FMC tells mediators that shuttle mediation does not necessarily make mediation safe, and if the mediator assesses it as not safe they must not mediate[3][12].

Does shuttle mediation cost more?

It can. National Family Mediation says it can take longer than face-to-face mediation, leading to higher costs[1].

Do I still need a MIAM before shuttle mediation?

Yes: the government's voucher scheme guidance says both of you need to attend a MIAM before undertaking mediation, together or separately[22]. Each of you has your own MIAM, where the mediator assesses safety and decides on safeguards such as separate rooms[8][3].

Is an agreement from shuttle mediation legally binding?

Not on its own: you can ask a court to make it into a consent order[10].

10/ Sources

Sources we checked

  1. What is shuttle mediation? — National Family Mediation
  2. Family mediation — Advicenow
  3. Good Practice Guidance for MIAMs, July 2024 — Family Mediation Council
  4. Family Mediation Guidance Manual (September 2024) — Legal Aid Agency, GOV.UK
  5. Family Mediation Voucher Scheme analysis (March 2023) — Ministry of Justice, GOV.UK
  6. Make an agreement through mediation — GOV.UK
  7. Family mediation in England and Wales: a guide for judges, magistrates, legal advisers and court staff (2024) — Family Justice Council and Family Mediation Council
  8. FMC MIAM Standards (Aug 2022) PDF
  9. Standards for MIAMs (August 2022) — Family Mediation Council
  10. Mediation sessions — Family Mediation Council
  11. Standards for MIAMs (August 2022) — Family Mediation Council
  12. Code of Practice for Family Mediators (August 2025) — Family Mediation Council
  13. FPR r3.8 · PD3A
  14. Good Practice Guidance for MIAMs, July 2024 — Family Mediation Council
  15. What is a MIAM? — Family Mediation Council · What does mediation cost? — Family Mediation Council
  16. FMC — What does mediation cost?
  17. GOV.UK — Family Mediation Voucher Scheme · GOV.UK news, May 2026
  18. GOV.UK — voucher scheme guidance · Practice Direction 36V — justice.gov.uk
  19. Code of Practice for Family Mediators (August 2025) — Family Mediation Council
  20. FPR Part 3, r3.8(1)(d)
  21. What is a MIAM? — Family Mediation Council
  22. Family Mediation Voucher Scheme — Ministry of Justice, GOV.UK

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