Child Arrangements Mediation
Child arrangements mediation helps separated parents agree where their children live, how they share time between two homes and how they make the big decisions together, without the stress and cost of court. A trained, impartial mediator keeps the conversation focused on what your children need. Most parents reach an agreement in two or three sessions. Choose the area that fits your situation to find out more.
Co-Parenting & Weekly Schedules
Co-parenting mediation helps separated parents build a week-by-week routine that works for both homes. Together you agree where the children stay each night, how handovers work and how you share school runs, so daily life stays calm and predictable. You leave with a clear parenting plan your children can rely on and you can both follow.
Holidays, Christmas & Special Occasions
Holiday mediation helps separated parents agree who has the children at Christmas, over the school holidays and on birthdays, before the arguing starts. Together you set out how the year is shared, how alternating works and what happens with trips abroad, passports and consent. You leave with dates in the diary and no last-minute standoffs.
New Partners & Blended Families
Mediation helps separated parents work out how new partners fit into their children's lives. Together you agree when introductions happen, what role a step-parent plays day to day, and how you handle stepsiblings, house rules and time as a bigger family. You both leave knowing where you stand, and your children get a calmer start in both homes.
Schooling & Education Disputes
Education mediation helps separated parents agree which school a child goes to and how decisions about their learning get made. Together you work through applications and deadlines, state or independent, special educational needs support, and who signs what. You get a decision made in time for the deadline, instead of one made for you by a judge.
Relocation & Moving
Relocation mediation helps parents agree what happens when one of you wants to move, whether that is a few towns away or abroad. Together you look at schools, travel time, cost and how the other parent keeps regular contact, then put the plan in writing. It is far quicker and less costly than a contested court application.
Children’s Name Changes
Name change mediation helps separated parents reach a decision about a child's surname or first name without going to court. Together you look at what the change would mean for school, passports and medical records, and what feels right for your child. You leave with a written agreement you have both signed, rather than a stalemate that drags on for months.
Child arrangements mediation: common questions
Mediation itself is voluntary, but the first meeting is not. In almost all cases you must attend a MIAM, a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting, before you can apply for a child arrangements order. The mediator signs your C100 court form to confirm you attended. There are exemptions, including where there has been domestic abuse, where a child is at risk, or where the matter is genuinely urgent.
Nobody can be forced into mediation. If your ex-partner declines the invitation or does not respond, your mediator signs your C100 form to confirm you attended a MIAM and that mediation is not going ahead, which lets you apply to court. Judges do ask why mediation did not happen, so having made the approach counts in your favour. Before giving up, it is worth asking us about shuttle mediation, which several parents accept after refusing a joint session.
Most parents reach agreement in two or three joint sessions, held a few weeks apart, after each of you has had a MIAM. Sessions run for 90 minutes online. From first call to written agreement, that is usually a matter of weeks. A contested child arrangements application, by comparison, took an average of 37 weeks to be decided during 2025, according to Ministry of Justice figures.
You do not have to attend a MIAM before applying to court if there has been domestic abuse and you have the required evidence. You can claim an exemption on the C100 form. If you would still like to explore mediation, tell us when you make contact. Every case is screened separately and confidentially before anything is arranged, and shuttle mediation means you would never be in the same room.
Ready to sort out arrangements for your children?
Get started today and take the first step towards a less stressful, child-focused agreement. If you would rather talk it through first, the free 15-minute call is a no-pressure place to start.
Need something specific? Book an urgent MIAM, check your legal aid eligibility, or call us on 0330 999 0959.