The £500 family mediation voucher — eligibility and how to use it

Who this is for. If you and your child's other parent are trying to sort out where your child lives or who spends time with them — and you are both open to sitting down with a neutral third party to reach an agreement instead of going to court — this guide explains the government's £500 mediation voucher. It tells you what the voucher is, whether you qualify, how it is applied for, what it does and does not cover, and how it fits with legal aid. It is written in plain English, is for people representing themselves, and does not take sides.

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-29

What the mediation voucher actually is

The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme is a government-funded contribution of up to £500 (excl. VAT) per family towards the cost of family mediation. It is not a cash payment you receive; it is money the mediator's service claims from the government to offset the fees you and the other parent would otherwise pay, effectively reducing the cost of a mediation that is genuinely trying to settle child arrangements.

It does not make mediation free — it contributes up to £500, reducing the bill. Anything above that, you and the other parent share between you.

Who is eligible

To use the voucher, the position is broadly:

The dispute must be about child arrangements — where a child lives and who spends time with them (private family law). This is the core of the scheme.
Both parties must agree to mediate and to use a voucher. The voucher is applied for in respect of a mediation that is happening (or that the parties are genuinely engaging with), not merely contemplated.
The mediator must be accredited by the Family Mediation Council (FMC) — the umbrella body for family mediators in England and Wales. An FMC-accredited mediator is automatically able to claim the voucher; a non-accredited "mediator" cannot.
You are normally a "private paying" party. Vouchers are aimed at people who are not eligible for legal aid for mediation. (See "Combining with legal aid" below.)
The scheme only reimburses future mediation costs — it cannot be claimed for mediation that has already been paid for or completed.

The scheme is periodically extended, and the exact scope can change. Always confirm the current position with your FMC mediator or on gov.uk before relying on it.

How it is applied for

You do not apply separately to a government website yourself. The process runs through your mediator:

1. Contact an FMC-accredited family mediator for a MIAM (the Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting — the first meeting where a mediator assesses whether mediation suits you). 2. Tell your mediator early that you want to use the government mediation voucher. 3. If both you and the other parent agree to mediate, the mediator records that the case is a child arrangements matter and applies for a voucher through the official government scheme (via the Family Mediation Voucher portal). 4. The mediator confirms the voucher and deducts up to £500 from the fees for the mediation sessions. 5. You pay only for whatever remains above the £500 (and for any sessions outside the voucher's scope).

Because the voucher is tied to an actual FMC-accredited mediator and to genuine mediation, the crucial step is simply booking the MIAM with a mediator who can claim it — they handle the rest.

What it covers — and what it does not

It covers: the cost of mediation sessions that are working toward resolving a child arrangements dispute — including time where both parties, and sometimes the children (via child-inclusive sessions), are part of the mediation process.

It does not cover:

Financial/property disputes — mediation about money, assets, pensions and divorce finances is outside the core child-arrangements focus of the scheme (confirm current scope, as it has been widened on occasion).
Solicitors' fees, court fees, or the costs of drafting and filing court documents (forms such as the C100) — those are separate.
Anything already paid for before the voucher was applied.
The full cost of a long mediation — the £500 is a cap per family, not an unlimited subsidy.

Combining with legal aid

The voucher and legal aid for mediation are generally alternatives, not add-ons:

If you are eligible for legal aid for mediation (for example because of a domestic-abuse exemption, or certain child-protection contexts), legal aid covers mediation rather than the voucher — you would not also claim the £500 voucher for the same mediation.
If you are not eligible for legal aid (the norm for most separating couples), the voucher is the route to a partial subsidy.
Whichever route applies, the practical first step is the same — attend a MIAM with an FMC-accredited mediator, who will tell you which subsidy you qualify for. Do not assume; ask the mediator what you are entitled to before sessions start, because the choice can affect how fees are funded.
Legal aid is limited but can still be available in family cases involving domestic abuse or certain child-protection contexts — check gov.uk/legal-aid.

A practical step-by-step

1. [ ] Decide mediation is for you — speak to the other parent and agree you are both willing to sit down with a neutral mediator on a child arrangements matter. 2. [ ] Find an FMC-accredited family mediator in your area who offers MIAMs (search "find a family mediator" via the Family Mediation Council, familymediationcouncil.org.uk). 3. [ ] Book and attend the MIAM — in person or online. Explain that you wish to use the £500 government mediation voucher. 4. [ ] Confirm both parties want to proceed — the mediator applies for the voucher on your behalf if the case is eligible. 5. [ ] Ask before you pay — check how the £500 will be deducted from your fees, and how the remainder splits between you and the other parent, before mediation begins. 6. [ ] Attend the mediation sessions — the £500 is applied to sessions that are genuinely working to resolve child arrangements. 7. [ ] Only consider court if mediation fails or is unsuitable — if no agreement is reached, a MIAM already attended counts towards your pre-court requirements, and the mediator can still sign the relevant court form.

Official sources

Family mediation voucher scheme on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/family-mediation-voucher-scheme
Family Mediation Council (find an FMC-accredited mediator): https://www.familymediationcouncil.org.uk
Check legal aid eligibility: https://www.gov.uk/legal-aid
Help with court fees (if court becomes necessary): https://www.gov.uk/get-help-with-court-fees

This page is general information, not legal advice. YourFamilyCase.co.uk is an independent information directory and is not affiliated with the Family Mediation Council or gov.uk.

Content verified against the official HMCTS court directory, gov.uk forms and fees pages, and the professional body registers (SRA, FMC, Bar Council). Last reviewed September 2026.