Contact Family Mediator: Call 0330 010 0028 About Family Mediation

Make the first conversation useful

It can feel difficult to decide how much to say when you first contact a mediation service. A useful opening is the practical issue you want to understand: an assessment before court, a parenting routine that has stopped working or uncertainty about a financial discussion. Start there and ask which next step might be relevant.

If you are unsure whether your question belongs in mediation, say so. The first enquiry can help clarify the role of the process and what needs an individual assessment. There is no need to describe a preferred outcome as though it were already agreed by everyone involved.

Choose a place where you can speak privately if possible. If a device, bill or call history is shared, think about whether making contact could create a risk. Explain any limitation on safe contact before arrangements are made. Do not assume that a voicemail, return call or message would be safe in your circumstances.

You can write a few questions in advance. They might concern the purpose of an initial meeting, the information needed, available formats, charges or how accessibility needs can be discussed. If you need time to note an answer or want a term explained, ask for that clarification.

You do not need to send financial records, identity documents or detailed information about children simply to ask what mediation involves. If further information is needed, ask for an appropriate way to provide it. A telephone number is a call destination and should not be treated as a document-submission channel.

Keep your question close to hand

If you are calling while managing a busy or stressful day, keep your notes short enough to use. A single page with your main question, any important date and the practical detail you need to clarify can be sufficient. You can add information during the call rather than try to prepare every possible answer in advance.

When you hear an unfamiliar term, ask what it means for the step being discussed. You might need to distinguish an assessment from a joint session, or an enquiry from an appointment offer. Repeating your understanding in your own words can make a misunderstanding easier to correct before arrangements are made.

If you need information in a different form to consider it properly, explain that need. Ask what can be provided and through which route. An enquiry should help you understand a possible service; it should not depend on remembering a long explanation without a chance to check the details.

Enquiries about a MIAM or court-related step

If a legal adviser has suggested a MIAM, or you have court paperwork, identify that context when enquiring. Note the type of issue and any relevant deadline. This helps explain why timing matters without assuming that an appointment or particular document can be provided.

Many family court applications in England and Wales normally require a MIAM unless an exemption applies. Requirements differ, so ask your legal adviser about your own application. An enquiry, a missed call or an intention to mediate does not satisfy attendance requirements or stop a court timetable.

Mediation is not an emergency or protective service. If you are at immediate risk, seek appropriate emergency assistance. Where urgent legal protection is needed, do not wait for a mediation appointment before obtaining advice about the steps available to you.

For a fuller guide to preparation and appointment questions, see Book Consultation. It explains what to clarify before you agree to a time and the difference between information, assessment and joint work.

Discuss the practicalities before committing

A useful appointment is one you understand. Ask about the proposed format, what the meeting is for, who would take part and whether any preparation is needed. If a remote meeting is being considered, discuss privacy and access rather than assuming any device or location will be suitable.

Ask what charge applies, what it covers and how cancellations or changes are handled. Costs for later mediation or written work may differ from an initial assessment. No price, funding entitlement or free consultation is promised by this page.

If you need an adjustment for a disability, communication need or language requirement, raise it early. Ask what may be possible in the circumstances and how an arrangement would be agreed. The same applies if you are enquiring about a support person or a different meeting format.

You can ask how the other participant would be contacted and what information would be shared. Safety and privacy concerns may affect that decision. Avoid passing on unnecessary details about another person before you understand the purpose for which the information is needed.

When you are helping someone else enquire

A friend or relative can help someone prepare questions or understand general information. Make clear whose circumstances you are discussing and whether you are asking only about the process. Do not provide sensitive documents or detailed personal accounts about another adult simply because you are trying to help.

The person who would participate needs their own opportunity to understand and decide. Support with an enquiry does not make you their representative, give permission to access their records or allow you to agree to mediation on their behalf. If there is a specific support need, ask how it can be discussed appropriately.

Likewise, if a professional is involved, clarify which questions belong with that professional. A legal adviser may need to explain a deadline or application requirement, while the mediation enquiry concerns the process and service arrangements. Keeping those roles clear helps the person receive the right information without assuming one conversation answers every issue.

Raise a concern or a privacy question

Use 0330 010 0028 to ask how to raise a concern about an enquiry, communication or service. Explain the issue you want addressed and ask what the relevant process involves. This page does not promise an investigation timetable or outcome.

For a data protection question, identify the request clearly. You may be asking about access to information, correction of an inaccuracy or safe handling of contact details. The Privacy Policy explains rights and the difference between browsing this static website and information provided during an enquiry.

If a concern involves information about another participant, some details may not be disclosable. Asking a question does not automatically create a right to see another person’s records. Identity checks or an appropriate private channel may be needed before personal information can be discussed.

You can return to the services guide or read about our approach before making contact. The aim is to help you understand the available conversation, not to ask you to make a commitment before you have the information you need.

If you are raising more than one concern, separate the practical issue from the information request. A question about an appointment and a request to correct a personal record may need different handling. Identifying both clearly helps avoid one being overlooked when the other is answered. Keep your own note of the issue you have raised and any next step discussed.

Where a matter is not understood, ask for clarification before assuming that it has been resolved. You can explain which part of an answer remains unclear and what you need to understand in order to decide what to do next.