A typical journey from first call to signed agreement — what happens at each stage, how long it takes, and what it costs.
Sarah and David separated after nine years of marriage. They have two children — Amelia (7) and Jack (4). Sarah had moved into a rented flat nearby and the children were spending weekdays with her and weekends with David, but nothing was agreed formally. Conversations kept ending in arguments, usually by text, and both were dreading the next school holiday.
Neither wanted to go to court. A friend mentioned the £500 government mediation voucher, and Sarah booked a free 30-minute call.
After the introductory call, Sarah and David each attended a private MIAM (Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting) by video, a week apart. Both were assessed as suitable for mediation.
In their first joint session (90 minutes, online), they agreed the weekly schedule should stay as it was for now — stability for the children came first — and listed the outstanding issues: holidays, Christmas, and handover arrangements.
With the mediator managing the conversation, they agreed alternating Christmas mornings, half-terms split by week, and two weeks of summer holiday each. They also agreed handovers would happen at school to avoid face-to-face friction.
They moved on to finances. Both completed an open financial summary. David would stay in the family home; they explored offsetting his share of the equity against pensions, rather than forcing a sale.
In the final session they settled the finances and asked for a Parenting Plan alongside their Memorandum of Understanding. Their mediator signed the court forms the same week.
| MIAM (each) | £120 |
| 4 joint sessions (each) | £640 |
| OFS & MOU (shared) | £150 |
| Parenting Plan (shared) | £60 |
| Total per person | £970 |
Because their case involved children, the £500 government voucher applied to the mediation fees — cutting their combined bill from £1,940 to £1,440. For comparison, contested court proceedings typically cost £10,000–£15,000 or more each and take 12–18 months.
They each took the Memorandum of Understanding to a solicitor for independent legal advice before making it binding — total legal spend: one appointment each.
“I thought mediation would be another place to argue. It wasn’t — it was the first conversation in months where we actually solved things. The kids’ routine hasn’t changed, and we both know where we stand.”
(Illustrative quote representing common feedback, not a real client.)