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Insight > Divorce and family FAQs > What is a MIAM?
Mediation and other methods of Non-Court Dispute Resolution (NCDR)
What is a MIAM?
A MIAM is a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting that is held prior to potential family mediation.
Before filing certain types of family court applications, the court will usually expect you to have attended a MIAM. The courts want to ensure that potential applicants have considered whether there are alternative and more suitable ways of resolving their issues outside of court. There are exemptions for cases of domestic abuse, where there are child protection concerns, in cases of urgency, and if you have engaged in NCDR in the four months prior to the court application.
A MIAM is essentially a conversation about what you would wish to mediate about, what are the other options for reaching resolution, and whether or not mediation would be suitable in your particular circumstances. MIAMs are individual confidential meetings, so you are able to speak freely with the mediator without worrying that what you say will be repeated to your former partner. Following the MIAM, unless there is a good reason not to, the mediator will likely want to arrange a MIAM with your former partner so that they have the same opportunity to hear about the options available to find a solution.
In these FAQs and answers, we use 'England' as a shorthand for 'England and Wales' because England and Wales share a single legal system. Scotland, meanwhile, is a different legal system and has different rules for many aspects of family law.
We have also chosen to talk about 'marriages' most of the time (which may be between either an opposite or same-sex couple). Unless we say otherwise, what we have said is also true of civil partnerships (which may also be between an opposite or same-sex couple).
These FAQs (and our website more generally) contain general information based on English law as it stands at the date of publication, but they do not constitute legal advice, nor are they tailored to any couple or family's particular circumstances. Whilst we endeavour to ensure it is accurate and up to date, website users should seek appropriate legal advice before taking or refraining from any action based on the content of the website. We would, of course, be willing to assist with this, and you can contact us here.
Any pricing information is similarly general. Our clients' relationship with us is governed by the terms of the engagement letter sent to them at the beginning of their instruction.
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