What we can sort out
Where they live
The pattern of the week and the weekend. Whether that's shared time, one main home, or something that changes with their age.
Time with each parent
Term time, school holidays, birthdays, Christmas, and how handovers actually happen without a scene at the door.
The practical stuff
Schools, medical decisions, phones, screen time, new partners, holidays abroad and passports, and how you tell each other things.
What you end up with
A written parenting plan. It sets out what you've agreed in plain language, so that in six months' time nobody is arguing about what was meant.
A parenting plan isn't a court order and isn't directly enforceable. In practice that matters less than people expect: arrangements two parents built themselves tend to hold, because both of them had a hand in making them. If you want it made binding, a solicitor can turn it into a consent order.
Where the children fit in
Children aren't in the room for the mediation. The decisions are yours to make.
Some families choose child-inclusive mediation, where a specially trained mediator meets the child separately so their view can be heard. It's voluntary, the child decides what is passed on, and it's often the thing that shifts a stuck conversation.
[CONFIRM: child-inclusive mediation needs a separate FMC accreditation. Remove this paragraph unless Lucy holds it or can refer to someone who does.]
What it costs
A MIAM is £60 per person. Most families settle children's arrangements in two to four joint sessions. See full pricing.
Family Mediation Voucher Scheme. Cases involving children may qualify for a government contribution of up to £500 towards mediation costs. [CONFIRM scheme status and Lucy's authorisation before publishing.]
Start with a MIAM
One meeting, on your own, £60. It's where we work out whether this is the right route for your family.
Get in touch