Compared to using a solicitor to negotiate for you or to take your case to court, Legal Aid is still available for mediation even though it is no longer generally available for legal advice or costs.
At the assessment meeting, the mediator will assess whether or not you qualify for Legal Aid. If you do, the whole mediation process is likely to be free for you. This is different for the remaining legal aid that is available for going to court, where you might have to pay a contribution towards your legal costs during the case and/or repay your costs at the end of the case.
If you do not qualify for Legal Aid for mediation, we will base our charges to you on the amount of time taken for your mediation. We charge each client £140 + VAT per hour, meaning a typical mediation could cost each of you less than £1200. We only charge you for the time spent by the mediator during the sessions and for time the mediator spends preparing any necessary documents during the process, such as a formal Memorandum at the end of the mediation setting out the proposed agreement. We do not charge for routine letters or telephone calls.
There may be a charge for an initial Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM), which is currently £125 +VAT. Whether there is a charge or not will depend on a number of factors. We will always let you know in advance if it is likely that you will be charged and how much.
We will fully explain the likely costs that you will incur before the mediation starts. Generally, we find that the cost of mediation is less than 10% of what you might be charged by using a solicitor to negotiate for you or take a case to court if you are represented.