If you are separating in London and thinking about mediation, the first thing you probably want to know is what it will actually cost you. Family mediation cost in London sits a little above the national average, mostly because London providers carry higher overheads, but it is still far cheaper than two sets of solicitors arguing the same points in writing for months. There is also real help with fees, including a government voucher worth up to £500 and legal aid for people on lower incomes.
This guide sets out honest price ranges for a MIAM and for joint sessions in London, explains what pushes the total up or down, and shows exactly who can get help paying. Prices vary between providers, so treat the figures below as typical ranges rather than a quote, and always ask for a written fee schedule before you book anything.
How much does family mediation cost in London?
Family mediation cost in London is normally charged in stages rather than as one lump sum, which makes it easier to budget for. In London, the typical ranges are:
- MIAM (the first individual meeting): around £100 to £180 per person. This is a one to one meeting with the mediator to talk through your situation and check whether mediation is suitable. If you are unsure what this involves, read our guide to what a MIAM is and whether you need one before court.
- Joint mediation sessions: around £150 to £300 per person for each session, with most sessions lasting 90 minutes to two hours.
- Number of sessions: most child arrangements cases settle in one to three joint sessions. Financial cases usually take two to four, sometimes more if there is a business, a pension to value or a property abroad.
- Closing documents: around £200 to £500 per person for the written summary of what you agreed, called a memorandum of understanding, plus an open financial statement in money cases.
Put together, a straightforward London case comes to somewhere between £500 and £1,200 per person from start to finish. Child-only cases usually sit at the lower end. Complex financial cases sit at the higher end.
One point that catches people out: mediation itself does not make a financial agreement legally binding. To do that, you need a consent order approved by the court, which is drafted separately and carries its own court fee of £62 as of July 2026. Budget for that on top.
Why family mediation cost in London is higher than elsewhere
The main reasons family mediation cost in London runs higher come down to overheads and complexity. London providers pay more for meeting rooms, staff and insurance, and that feeds through into hourly rates. Cases in the capital also tend to be more involved. High property values, shared ownership arrangements, international families with assets or relatives in more than one country, and complicated childcare logistics across boroughs all take longer to work through.
The good news is that online mediation has changed the picture. Video sessions are widely offered across London and usually cost less than in-person meetings, because there is no room hire. They also save you a trip across town after work, which matters if you are juggling childcare in Croydon and a job near King’s Cross. If you want to see how the process fits together before you commit, our guide to how family mediation in London works walks through it step by step.
The family mediation voucher scheme: up to £500 towards your fees
The family mediation voucher scheme is a one-off government contribution of up to £500 per family, inclusive of VAT, towards the cost of mediation. It is the single most useful piece of help most people qualify for, and a surprising number of separating parents in London have never heard of it.
The important details:
- It is not means-tested. Eligibility depends on the type of dispute, not on your income or savings.
- It applies to cases about child arrangements, and to financial cases where there is also a dispute about the children. A finance-only case does not qualify.
- It does not cover the cost of the MIAM, and it does not cover document preparation.
- Only mediators authorised by the Family Mediation Council can apply the voucher. Your mediator applies on your behalf and the money is paid directly to them, so you never handle the claim yourself.
- The scheme has been extended into 2026/27, with no fixed end date at the time of writing, subject to availability.
Full details are on the Family Mediation Council voucher scheme page (verified July 2026). When you ring round London providers, ask straight away whether they are FMC authorised and can apply the voucher, because it takes £500 straight off your family mediation cost in London.
Is family mediation free? Legal aid explained
For some people, yes. Legal aid for family mediation is means-tested only. If you meet the income, savings and capital rules, your MIAM and your mediation sessions are free to you. It is not gated on anything else, and it does not depend on there having been abuse in the relationship. Mediation stayed within the legal aid scheme when most other private family work was taken out of scope in 2013.
There is a further point that helps couples where only one person qualifies. If your former partner is eligible for legal aid and you are not, your first joint session may still be covered, and you can also apply for the £500 voucher on top. That combination sometimes brings the cost of a child arrangements case down to very little.
You can check your position using the government’s legal aid eligibility checker. Not every mediation service holds a Legal Aid Agency contract, so ask before booking. Some London services, including London Mediation Service, can talk you through both legal aid and the voucher in the same conversation.
Editor’s Note, 2026
This article is part of an archive preserved from the original Law Firm London website. Law Firm London has joined London Mediation Service and no longer takes on new instructions under this name.
For up-to-date family mediation and divorce help in London, please visit London Mediation Service.
How mediation prices compare with court
Court fees alone tell part of the story. As of July 2026, applying for a divorce costs £628, an application about child arrangements on the C100 form costs £270, and a contested financial application on Form A costs £321. These figures come from the Ministry of Justice fee update and took effect on 13 July 2026.
The court fee is rarely the expensive part, though. Solicitor costs are. A contested financial case that runs through several hearings at the Central Family Court in High Holborn can reach five figures per person, and contested children cases regularly run into thousands. Set against that, the family mediation cost in London for a case settled over three sessions is quicker, considerably less expensive and far less stressful than fighting it out through the court list.
Since April 2024, the family court also expects people to have properly considered resolving matters away from court, and judges can take an unreasonable refusal into account when deciding who pays costs. Mediation is not just the cheaper route, it is the one the court now expects you to have looked at first.
Where to attend mediation in London
Location affects both cost and convenience. Meeting somewhere you can reach easily after work usually beats saving a few pounds on a provider at the other end of the city. London Mediation Service holds appointments in Central London near Waterloo, in North London at St Pancras, and in Sutton for South London, with online sessions available across every borough.
Online works particularly well where one of you has moved out of London, where childcare makes an evening trip difficult, or where you would simply rather not sit in the same waiting room. The mediator keeps you in separate video rooms if that is what you need.
Common questions about family mediation cost in London
Do we both pay the same?
Usually the fee is split equally, but not always. Some couples agree that the person with the higher income pays a larger share, or that the cost comes out of a joint account or from the sale proceeds of the family home. Mediators are used to this conversation and it can be raised at the MIAM.
Do I pay if my ex refuses to take part?
You pay for your own MIAM. If the other person declines to attend, the mediator can sign the court form confirming you attended a MIAM, which is what you need before most applications about children or finances. You are not charged for sessions that never happen.
Can I use the voucher and legal aid together?
If you qualify for legal aid, your mediation is already covered, so the voucher is not needed for you. Where one person is legally aided and the other is not, the person paying privately can apply for the voucher.
Is mediation cheaper than doing it ourselves?
Doing it yourselves is free, and for some couples that works. Mediation earns its cost where conversations keep stalling, where money is involved and there is a need for full financial disclosure, or where you want a written record you can turn into a binding consent order.
What to do next
Before you commit to anything, ask three questions of any London mediator you speak to: what does a MIAM cost, what does each joint session cost per person, and can you apply the £500 voucher for us. Those three answers will give you a realistic picture of the family mediation cost in London for your own situation within a couple of minutes.
If you want to talk it through with someone first, the team at London Mediation Service can explain the fees, check whether the voucher or legal aid applies to your situation, and book your first appointment at the London location that suits you.
Need Legal or Mediation Help in London?
Discover expert guidance on family law, conflict resolution and divorce mediation services.