Mediation, or more specifically the MIAM is one of the steps that you must take before you go to court. You may be able to sort your issues out without attending court.
Why Do I Have To Attend Mediation?
The court has introduced a new court application procedure in recent years. This involves requiring all applicants to attend mediation before they are allowed to proceed to court.
You don’t have to attend a full mediation course with your ex, but you at least need to attend something called a MIAM. This is an initial mediation meeting with a qualified mediator. The mediator will explain to you what mediation is and will help you to decide whether or not you may be able to reach a resolution without having to go to court.
What Happens After Mediation?
You have several options:
- You can give consent for the mediator to write to your ex to invite them to a MIAM session. Your ex does not have to attend if they do not wish, but they may choose to attend a MIAM to find out a bit about the process. After this, your ex may choose not to pursue the mediation route.
- If you decide that mediation probably wouldn’t work for you and your ex, you can have the relevant court application page signed by the mediator to satisfy the court that you have attended mediation
- If your ex is willing to continue, you may choose not to go via court this time and instead you could pursue mediation to try to reach a resolution and improve communication between you and your ex.
Going To Court
If you want to go to court after you have attended the MIAM, you must make sure that you have the court form signed by the mediator. If you miss out this step, the court will probably not allow you to continue with your application.