Blog
Family Mediation Information & NewsConsent Orders: Making Your Divorce Agreement Binding
Many people are surprised to learn that reaching a financial agreement, and even getting divorced, does not by itself make that agreement legally binding. For that, you need a consent order. This guide explains what a consent order is, why it matters so much, what it...
Grandparents’ Access to Grandchildren: Your Options
When a family breaks down, grandparents can find themselves suddenly cut off from grandchildren they love and have helped raise. It is a painful and often overlooked consequence of separation. This guide explains where grandparents stand in England and Wales, and how...
How to Make a Parenting Plan That Works
When parents separate, a clear parenting plan can make an enormous difference to how smoothly life works afterwards, and to how settled the children feel. This guide explains what a parenting plan is, what to include, how to keep it genuinely child-focused, and how...
Preparing Your Financial Disclosure for Mediation
If your mediation involves money or property, financial disclosure is the foundation everything else rests on. Without a full and honest picture of both people's finances, no agreement can be fair. This guide explains what financial disclosure is, what you will need...
What Happens to the Family Home When You Separate?
For most couples, the family home is the biggest and most emotionally charged asset to resolve when they separate. Who stays? Should it be sold? What about the children, and the mortgage? This guide explains the main options for the family home on divorce in England...
MIAM Exemptions: When You Do Not Need to Attend a MIAM
Before you can apply to the family court about children or finances, you usually have to attend a MIAM (Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting) first. But not always. The law recognises certain situations where a MIAM is not required, known as exemptions. This...
How Are Pensions Divided on Divorce? A Plain Guide
Pensions are often the largest single asset a couple owns, sometimes worth more than the family home, yet they are frequently overlooked in divorce. This guide explains how pensions are treated on divorce in England and Wales, the three main ways they can be divided,...
The FM5 Form and Mediation: What the Court Now Expects
If you are heading towards a family court application, you will meet a form called the FM5. At heart, it asks you a single question: what have you done to try to resolve this without a judge? Since April 2024 the courts expect a genuine effort to resolve matters out...
Do I Need A MIAM If I Am Applying For A Consent Order In The Family Courts?
If you and your former partner have already reached an agreement and simply want the court to make it official, you may be wondering whether you still need to attend a MIAM first. The short answer is no. When you apply for a consent order, whether about finances or...
Why a MIAM Is the First Step for Separated Parents
When parents separate, it is often decisions about the children that feel most urgent and emotionally charged. Questions around where the children will live, how time will be shared, and how future decisions will be made can quickly become a source of tension and...
