What is a MIAM? | MIAM Meaning & Guide UK 2026

What Does MIAM Stand For?

MIAM stands for Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting. It is a meeting with an authorised family mediator that most people in England and Wales must attend before applying to the family court about children or finances.

The requirement is statutory: section 10(1) of the Children and Families Act 2014 says a person must attend a MIAM before making a relevant family application, unless an exemption applies. The detail lives in Part 3 of the Family Procedure Rules and Practice Direction 3A.

A MIAM is not mediation itself. It is an information and assessment meeting: the mediator explains how mediation and other non-court options work, assesses whether they are suitable and safe for your situation, and tells you about help with costs. Mediation only happens afterwards, and only if both people agree.

What Happens at a MIAM?

MIAMs are held separately with each person — you will not be put in a room (or video call) with your ex-partner. Under FMC MIAM Standards, the meeting is delivered in person or by online video and usually lasts 45–60 minutes. During the meeting the mediator will:

• explain mediation and other forms of non-court dispute resolution (NCDR), such as solicitor negotiation or arbitration;
• assess whether mediation is suitable — including screening for domestic abuse and safeguarding concerns;
• discuss what you want to resolve (child arrangements, finances, property);
• explain costs, legal aid and the £500 Family Mediation Voucher Scheme; and
• if you decide to go to court, sign the confirmation the court needs — commonly called the MIAM certificate.

Do I Need a MIAM?

You must attend a MIAM (or have a valid exemption) before applying for most private family court orders, including:

• a child arrangements order, prohibited steps order or specific issue order (C100 form);
• most other private applications under the Children Act 1989; and
• financial remedy applications specified in Practice Direction 3A.

Only the applicant is legally required to attend, though the mediator will normally invite the other person to a separate MIAM too. If you attend and your ex-partner refuses, you can still apply to court (GOV.UK).

MIAM: Key Facts

| Fact | Detail | Source | |------|--------|--------| | Legal basis | s10 Children and Families Act 2014; FPR Part 3 | legislation.gov.uk | | Length | Usually 45–60 minutes | FMC MIAM Standards | | Cost | Typically £120–£150 per person; free with legal aid | GOV.UK · FMC 2025 | | Validity | Apply to court within 4 months of the MIAM | FPR r3.8(1)(d) | | Who conducts it | Only FMC-authorised family mediators | FPR r3.1 | | Format | In person or online video; held separately with each person | FMC MIAM Standards | | Outcomes | ~69% of voucher-scheme mediations reach whole or partial agreement | FMC, State of Family Mediation 2025 |

After the MIAM: Your Options

1. Try mediation. If both of you agree and it is assessed as suitable, you book joint (or shuttle) sessions. The £500 voucher can help with children cases — the scheme runs until 31 March 2029.
2. Another form of NCDR — collaborative law, solicitor negotiation or arbitration.
3. Apply to court. The mediator signs your confirmation and you submit your C100 (court fee £270 since 13 July 2026 — GOV.UK). Remember: since 29 April 2024 courts can adjourn cases to encourage NCDR and, in financial cases, can reflect an unreasonable refusal to mediate in costs orders (SI 2023/1324).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a MIAM legally required?

Yes, for most private family court applications in England and Wales, under s10 Children and Families Act 2014 — unless a Rule 3.8 exemption applies. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules.

Can I attend a MIAM if there has been domestic abuse?

If there is evidence of domestic abuse you are likely to be exempt and do not have to attend. If you choose to attend anyway, the mediator must screen for abuse and will only propose mediation formats that are safe (such as shuttle mediation) — and can assess mediation as unsuitable.

Can a MIAM be done over the phone?

FMC standards require MIAMs to be face-to-face in person or by online video; a telephone-only MIAM is allowed only where video is genuinely not possible, and the mediator must record the reason.

What if I cannot afford a MIAM?

Check if you qualify for legal aid — the MIAM is free if either of you does. Court is usually more expensive: the C100 fee alone is £270 (since 13 July 2026), before any legal costs.

Sources & Further Reading

• Children and Families Act 2014, s10
• Family Procedure Rules Part 3 · Practice Direction 3A
• GOV.UK — Making child arrangements: mediation
• Family Mediation Council — Assessment meeting (MIAM)
• National Family Mediation — What is a MIAM?

Content fact-checked against GOV.UK, the Family Procedure Rules and the Family Mediation Council: July 2026.