The short answer
The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme is a government contribution of up to £500 per family towards mediation. It is not means tested, so your income and savings are irrelevant to it. It only covers child arrangements, or finances where there is also a dispute about the children, and it does not pay for the MIAM.
Key points
- No financial test at all. High earners qualify on exactly the same terms as anyone else.
- £500 per family, not per person. You do not get £500 each.
- It does not pay for the MIAM. That is the most common misunderstanding.
- A finance-only case does not qualify. Children have to be part of what you are mediating.
- Your mediator claims it. The money never passes through your hands.
- It is not legal aid, and getting one has no effect on any legal aid application.
The figures
The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How much | Up to £500 per family, including VAT |
| Means tested? | No. Your income and savings are irrelevant |
| What it is for | Mediation about child arrangements, or about finances where there is also a child dispute |
| What it does not cover | The MIAM, and preparing documents |
| A finance-only case | Does not qualify |
| Who claims it | Your mediator, who must be authorised by the Family Mediation Council. The money goes to them, not to you |
| Status | Funded for the 2026 to 2027 financial year. No fixed end date, and subject to availability |
Sources: the £500 amount, the child arrangements scope and the fact that it does not cover the MIAM are all confirmed by the Family Mediation Council. That it is not means tested comes from the Ministry of Justice’s own Family Mediation Voucher Scheme Analysis, which states that “access to the voucher scheme is not based on a family’s income or finances and those who are eligible for Legal Aid are not excluded from the scheme”. Checked 5 August 2026. This scheme has been extended several times and could end, so please confirm it is still running before relying on it.
Who can use it
Anyone mediating about child arrangements, whatever they earn. The test is about the dispute, not about you, which makes it the only piece of family funding in England and Wales with no financial assessment.
You also qualify if you are mediating about finances and there is a child arrangements dispute alongside it. What does not qualify is a case purely about money, however much you need help with it.
Common and costly mistake
Budgeting for mediation on the basis that the voucher covers everything. It does not touch the MIAM, so the assessment meeting is payable unless you qualify for legal aid. And once the £500 is used, sessions are chargeable again.
The other one is a couple who agree about the children and are arguing about the house, planning around a voucher they cannot have. Check the scope before you rely on it.
How to get one
You do not apply. Your mediator does it for you, and only a mediator authorised by the Family Mediation Council can. The steps are:
- Find an FMC-authorised mediator and book a MIAM.
- At the MIAM the mediator assesses whether your case is suitable for mediation and whether it qualifies for a voucher.
- If it does, the mediator applies on your behalf.
- The £500 is paid directly to the mediator and comes off your bill.
Use the Family Mediation Council directory to find one near you. That is the neutral source and we would rather you used it.
Can you have a voucher and legal aid?
Not for the same cost, but they can both feature in the same case, and the combination is worth understanding.
Where one of you qualifies for legal aid and the other does not, the legal aid covers the MIAM and the first joint session for both of you. The person who is not eligible can then claim the voucher in their own right, because their income does not matter to it.
That sequence often gets a couple through the assessment and three or four sessions before anyone pays anything. The full sequence is here.
How long will the scheme last?
It began in March 2021 and has been extended repeatedly. It is funded for the 2026 to 2027 financial year, with no fixed end date, and it is subject to availability.
That is a genuine caveat rather than a formality. It has been described as time-limited from the start. If it matters to your plans, check it is still running before you rely on it, and ask your mediator when you book.