Online Family Mediation

Yes, and often more so. 90% of couples who attend joint mediation with Mediate UK reach a full or partial agreement, and that figure covers online and in-person cases alike. Many people find a video session easier than sitting in the same room, because you are in your own space, there is no awkward arrival, and it is simpler to stay focused on the issues. Online mediation has exactly the same legal standing as face-to-face mediation, including for MIAM certificates and court purposes.

Yes. Virtual mediation, remote mediation and video mediation are all names for the same thing: family mediation held over a secure video call rather than in a meeting room. At Mediate UK the process, the mediators and the prices are identical whichever name you use, and the MIAM certificate and any agreement you reach carry exactly the same weight as they would from a face-to-face session.

Usually within 48 hours. You can book online at any time, and MIAM appointments are typically available within a couple of days. Once you have had your MIAM, how quickly you reach a joint session depends largely on how quickly the other person responds to our invitation. Urgent appointments are available if you cannot wait.

Mediation itself is not binding, whether online or in person, but what you agree can be made binding. Your agreement is written up as a memorandum of understanding, and where finances are involved it can be drafted into a consent order and approved by a judge. Once sealed, that order is binding on both of you. Mediate UK offers this as a fixed fee package, with your mediation costs credited against the fee.

No. Online mediation works well where one of you lives abroad, and it is one of the reasons couples choose it. We regularly work with clients in different countries and different time zones, and we will find a session time that works for both of you. If your case involves international elements, such as a child living overseas or assets in another country, tell your mediator at your MIAM so it can be factored in.

Most cases resolve in two to four joint sessions over a few weeks, with each session usually lasting around 90 minutes. That compares with contested court proceedings, which commonly take a year or more. How long yours takes depends on how many issues you are dealing with, how quickly financial disclosure is completed, and how quickly you can both find session times.

Yes. Sessions are held on secure video, nothing is recorded, and discussions in mediation are confidential and without prejudice, so nothing either of you says can be repeated in court. The exception is financial disclosure, which is open, meaning the figures can be shown to the court. Confidentiality also does not apply where there is a risk of harm to a child or an adult.

We make up to two attempts to contact them, professionally and without pressure. If they do not respond or decline, mediation cannot go ahead, and your mediator can issue a MIAM certificate confirming you attended and that mediation was not suitable. That certificate is what you need to make a court application. Many people who initially ignore an invitation do engage later, particularly once they understand that attending a MIAM is compulsory before most court applications.

Yes, and it is often a good idea. Your mediator is impartial and cannot advise either of you, so taking independent legal advice alongside mediation is welcome and common. Many people take advice before the first joint session, once financial disclosure is complete, and again before signing anything. Mediate UK works with SRA-regulated solicitors if you would like that arranged.

We use Zoom for most sessions, and can also work by FaceTime, WhatsApp or telephone if that suits you better. You do not need to buy anything or set up an account. We send you a link, and you click it at the appointed time from a laptop, tablet or phone. If you would like to test it beforehand, we are happy to arrange that.

A laptop, tablet or phone with a camera and microphone, a reliable internet connection and a quiet, private space where you will not be overheard or interrupted. We email you a secure link before each session, so there is nothing to download and no account to set up. It helps to have any relevant paperwork to hand, such as bank statements, pension valuations or a draft parenting plan, along with something to make notes on.

Everything that can be dealt with in face-to-face mediation. That includes child arrangements, where the children live and how time is shared, financial settlements, the family home, pensions, savings, businesses, debts, spousal and child maintenance, and arrangements for unmarried couples separating. You can deal with everything in one process or focus on the single issue you are stuck on.