Administration of Mediation Vouchers Services Contract

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is responsible for the court procedures in private family law, and supports non-adversarial, out-of-court methods of dispute resolution, where deemed safe and appropriate. Successful mediation can reduce the burden on courts and be a quicker, less stressful method for parties to attempt to resolve their disagreements.

Family mediation is a process in which a trained, independent mediator helps an individual work out arrangements with another participant (e.g. an ex-partner) concerning children, finance or property. The mediator is there to help the parties work through disagreements and find solutions that work for them both and explain how to make any agreement reached legally binding, should they wish to do so.

When making an application for a court order in relation to many types of family law disputes, parties must show the court they have considered family mediation by having attended a Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM), unless they are exempt. A MIAM is a short meeting with a qualified mediator, where parties are provided with information about mediation as a way of resolving their issues, and the mediator will assess whether mediation is an appropriate option, based on their individual circumstances. Both parties need to attend a MIAM before undertaking mediation, which can be attended together or separately.

Successful mediation can reduce the burden on courts, be a less stressful and a far quicker method for parties to resolve their disagreements.