I’m Thinking Of Making A Court Application

If you have a dispute about finances or children and are thinking of making a court application,

There is, subject to a few exceptions, a legal requirement under The Children and Families Act 2014, to attend a Mediation information and Assessment Meeting to consider whether mediation would be an appropriate way of resolving your dispute before making an application for a court order.

If you are not the applicant, but the respondent, ie ‘the other person’ to the application, there is an expectation that you will attend a meeting also.

This Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting gives you the opportunity to meet with a mediator to talk about your dispute and the issues, to find out about the mediation process and to ask any questions that you have. We can explain how many sessions you may need and how long the mediation may last based upon your particular circumstances.

If mediation is not going ahead after you have attended your MIAM, and you decide that you are going to issue court proceedings to sort things out, you will need the mediator to sign a special form for you to attach to the court application to show the court that you have complied with the law and attended a MIAM. Your application will not be accepted by the court unless you have the relevant signed form.

The mediator will give you more information relevant to you and your circumstances during your MIAM.

For court leaflets and forms see the Ministry of Justice form finder.

For details of local courts - see Ministry of Justice court finder.