What's the difference between MIAM and Mediation?

You may have heard that MIAMs and Mediation are not the same thing but are confused as to the difference between the two. MIAM stands for Mediation Information and Mediation Assessment Meeting. The clue is in the name! This meeting assesses whether mediation is appropriate and would be productive for the parties involved and explore other possible routes of out of court dispute resolution.

Mediation, on the other hand, is the actual meeting itself where you and your ex-partner sit down with the mediator and attempt to resolve the dispute between you before resorting to going to court to have a Judge resolve the issues.

Mediation is not always appropriate for every case for example cases involving domestic violence within the parties’ relationship or financial abuse. However, the courts are keen to avoid court litigation wherever possible as financial and emotional resources are exhausted in the process. So, an attempt, at the very least, to resolve issues out of court must be evidenced when issuing court proceedings. The cost of mediation pales in comparison to court litigation costs so, unless there are valid reasons to forego mediating such as those listed above, it is worth the attempt.

When submitting a C100 (for more info regarding these forms: https://www.georgegreen.co.uk/site/george-green-blog/family-law/what-is-a-c100-form) you need to provide evidence of a MIAM certificate. This is signed by the mediator to confirm a MIAM appointment was attended by both parties. The mediator must be an authorised Family Mediator regulated by the Family Mediation Council.

If you require any further assistance, or wish to book in for an initial consultation to discuss your situation, our family solicitors are based in both Wolverhampton, Cradley Heath and Sutton Coldfield serve clients across the West Midlands. For all new enquiries, please call 01902 328 355 or complete our online enquiry form and a member of our team will respond.